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The night at McGrath's started out with with a bang. Not long after I arrived and started unloading my equipment from the parking lot across the street, a misunderstanding (and thus a confrontation) between myself, the parking attendant, and two other guys ensued. The details are not really worth recounting, but I'm happy to report that all ended peacefully. But not without a moment or two of thinking a brawl was about to happen. Never a dull moment.
Then as I was loading in, the guy who books me at McGrath's (a very cool guy named Adam) put the Flinchy's song on the jukebox. We just started laughing and joking around. I love a guy with a sense of humor.
The show went very well and the three of us had a blast. Ken had to sit this on out because of a long day at his job (jobs...whatever man), so the FLB was rockin' the acoustic trio. We joked around a lot and played quite a few never-played-before-let's-see-if-we-can-pull-this-out-of-our-ass tunes. They included "Slide," "Mr. Jones," and " Wonderful Tonight." Chris made his FLB vocal debut singing "Wonderful Tonight" and it rocked. I had no idea he could sing like that--the ladies were swooning in their seats.
Some LVC friends were at the show and it was nice seeing and talking with them. We also were helped by the same sweet waitress we had last time, Jessica. She's about 5 foot nothing and absolutely adorable. You just want to take her home with you. However, and this is a big "however," I believe someone told me a while back that she's been in a relationship with Adam for a while now. Ixnay on flirting with the girlfriend of the guy that hires you.
All around, a good show. The ride home was nice as usual, except that I was sweatin' that I might run out of gas before I got home. The needle was WAY in the red and occasionally it would dip past the "time to push" line. But alas, the blue dragon didn't let me down. All was well.
Tonight we play at the Ott House in Emmitsburg, MD, near Mt. St. Mary's University. I've heard that the MSM folks know how to get down, and that excites me. For those about to rock...
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Pepper's - 2/18/06 - Harrisburg, PA
This was our first time playing at Pepper's, so I had no idea what to expect. I had never even seen the place before. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised. Pepper's had a good ambiance and everyone was extremely friendly. Jason, one of the bartenders, was one of the friendliest/personable/helpful bartenders I had ever met in my musical travels. And the guy worked his ass off.
Although the gig had a somewhat modest crowd, the fans were mighty and all very fun and kind. There were a few friends I hadn't seen in a while (thanks for the Jager shot) and some gorgeous women who danced like animals the entire night. One of them looked about 28, but we were told it was her 40th birthday. Astounding. I hope she had a good time. Judging by the half-flashes she gave us, I'd say she was having a happy birthday at the very least.
We busted out an impromptu version of "Sweet Emotion," with an emphasis on the "impromptu" aspect. Someone wanted to hear some Aerosmith, but we hadn't really played any Aerosmith tunes together yet. Then Chris started busting out the riff and we all just went with it. I didn't really know the words, so most of it was made up gibberish, but it honestly didn't sound half bad. We also took a stab at "Freebird" with no previous rehearsal. One of the best solos of all time. Whenever I hear that solo I always seem to imagine that I'm kicking ass somewhere in some street/bar fight.
A new FLB tradition was born tonight thanks to the fine people from the state of Kentucky. The band and I decided that our shows would go much smoother if we all just took turns drinking straight out of a bottle of Kentucky Gentleman during the gigs. Rock and whiskey are like lamb and tuna fish...or spaghetti and meatballs? So let it be written, so let it be done...
A good friend of mine in the music world, Sherri Mullen, came by with her husband and Tina Marie from Origivation magazine. It was great to see them all and talk with them for a while. I was actually Tina Marie's first interview at Origivation magazine and we all agreed, you never forget your first.
It was hard to believe, but it had almost been a year since I had seen Sherri last. I've played a few Harrisburg shows with Sherri over the past couple years during my senior year in college me and a couple of classmates recorded some demo stuff with her and her band as part of our senior music production class. Sherri is great--not only is she a very talented singer/songwriter, but she is an absolute sweetheart. You really should go see her perform if you get the chance. She hosts singer/songwriter showcases at Underdogs in Harrisburg every month, featuring performances by herself and some of the best singer/songwriters in the region (which sometimes makes me wonder what I'm doing there). These shows have really gained a lot of notoriety and good press over the past year. The FLB acoustic duo will be playing at her Underdogs showcase on April 20th.
During a break I also met Greg who plays in the SpoonDogs. Greg has played numerous Rock and Roll hall of famers including Al Green, so it was really cool to meet him and talk for a little while. It was either Greg or one of his friends who very succinctly put into words what I've been try to convey about the chemistry of the band. When I told Greg and company that we'd only been playing together for 5 and 1/2 months, someone said, "and it looks like you guys have known each other for years."
After the gig, the FLB decided to hit a local diner for some late night grub. It was 4 am by the time we were done trading tales and gorging ourselves. It was a really clear winter night and a nice drive back to MD. I got home around 5:45am. My weatherbug said it was 8 degrees.
Although the gig had a somewhat modest crowd, the fans were mighty and all very fun and kind. There were a few friends I hadn't seen in a while (thanks for the Jager shot) and some gorgeous women who danced like animals the entire night. One of them looked about 28, but we were told it was her 40th birthday. Astounding. I hope she had a good time. Judging by the half-flashes she gave us, I'd say she was having a happy birthday at the very least.
We busted out an impromptu version of "Sweet Emotion," with an emphasis on the "impromptu" aspect. Someone wanted to hear some Aerosmith, but we hadn't really played any Aerosmith tunes together yet. Then Chris started busting out the riff and we all just went with it. I didn't really know the words, so most of it was made up gibberish, but it honestly didn't sound half bad. We also took a stab at "Freebird" with no previous rehearsal. One of the best solos of all time. Whenever I hear that solo I always seem to imagine that I'm kicking ass somewhere in some street/bar fight.
A new FLB tradition was born tonight thanks to the fine people from the state of Kentucky. The band and I decided that our shows would go much smoother if we all just took turns drinking straight out of a bottle of Kentucky Gentleman during the gigs. Rock and whiskey are like lamb and tuna fish...or spaghetti and meatballs? So let it be written, so let it be done...
A good friend of mine in the music world, Sherri Mullen, came by with her husband and Tina Marie from Origivation magazine. It was great to see them all and talk with them for a while. I was actually Tina Marie's first interview at Origivation magazine and we all agreed, you never forget your first.
It was hard to believe, but it had almost been a year since I had seen Sherri last. I've played a few Harrisburg shows with Sherri over the past couple years during my senior year in college me and a couple of classmates recorded some demo stuff with her and her band as part of our senior music production class. Sherri is great--not only is she a very talented singer/songwriter, but she is an absolute sweetheart. You really should go see her perform if you get the chance. She hosts singer/songwriter showcases at Underdogs in Harrisburg every month, featuring performances by herself and some of the best singer/songwriters in the region (which sometimes makes me wonder what I'm doing there). These shows have really gained a lot of notoriety and good press over the past year. The FLB acoustic duo will be playing at her Underdogs showcase on April 20th.
During a break I also met Greg who plays in the SpoonDogs. Greg has played numerous Rock and Roll hall of famers including Al Green, so it was really cool to meet him and talk for a little while. It was either Greg or one of his friends who very succinctly put into words what I've been try to convey about the chemistry of the band. When I told Greg and company that we'd only been playing together for 5 and 1/2 months, someone said, "and it looks like you guys have known each other for years."
After the gig, the FLB decided to hit a local diner for some late night grub. It was 4 am by the time we were done trading tales and gorging ourselves. It was a really clear winter night and a nice drive back to MD. I got home around 5:45am. My weatherbug said it was 8 degrees.
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