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The first weekend of this month we played Friday and Saturday at The Ott House Pub in Emmitsburg, MD. Friday night there was a "fan" that displayed some of the funniest behavior I've ever seen at a show and I would like to share the experience with you now...
A group of women in their late-20s/early 30s walk in to the club, several of whom are intoxicated to the point of stumbling. They are undeterred by their state, however, and hit the dance floor hard. One in particular starts making some very explicit sexual gestures towards me, and I just start laughing and grinning as I sing/play while looking at the guys to see if they're catching all of it. Oh boy...
After some very risque dance movements, a few bordering on exposure, the same woman comes right up to the stage where one of our monitor speakers is sitting. The stage is elevated several feet and the speaker comes up to about her chest. All of the sudden she starts licking the speaker with the earnestness of someone trying to solve the "How Many Licks?" mystery. I completely lost it and had to stop singing, and as I looked over at Randy he was laughing as hard as I was. I think that speaker had the best night of its life...
The women were eventually asked to leave (much to our dismay), but not without earning a place in the folklore of my musical adventures. That's the great thing about playing--you never know what might happen or what tales you might get to take with you...
Monday, November 13, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Kids, Cops, and Signs of the Times
Last month I was invited to give a presentation about my career in music to two classes of 9th graders at a local high school. I really liked the idea of telling and showing kids that you really can and should pursue your passions. I gave them my condensed musical life story, played some music, and showed them websites and recording stuff I use.
Although giving presentations is a little different than playing (I have nothing to hide behind while I talk/play), the kids were great and I enjoyed talking to/with them. They had some funny questions, too: "Where did you get your Chucks?" "How long did it take to grow your beard?" "Does your hair always look like that?" "Can I be your manager?"
I gave out some FLB stickers and their teacher very kindly took pictures of the kids putting them to use:
The night before I went to the high school, my brother and I went out to the car to listen to some rough album mixes (which are now in the final process of mastering). We got in my brother's car and decided to drive down the street to a local school to listen since it was 11pm and my neighbors have little kids (we didn't want to wake them).
As we pulled into the school parking lot, I made a joke about the cops showing up thinking that we were up to no good. Well, before we parked and made it through the first song, TWO patrol cars roll up and are shining lights in the car. At that point I was sitting in the middle of the back seat (to get a proper stereo image) and I just put my hands up. What a bummer.
I have nothing but admiration and respect for police officers. My grandfather and several of my relatives were/are law enforcement officers, and I know they have a very stressful and dangerous job. But I'll be honest, cops make me nervous most of the time. Not because I've done anything wrong, but because I'm often made to feel like I have when I haven't done a thing. Plus, I'm all too aware that history has seen many honest men go down at the hands of corrupt/erroneous "justice."
The cops look in the car and ask us to get out. They take our IDs and run them and question us. They seem very suspicious, and I suppose I understand why. Not often are two guys just listening to music while sitting in a school parking lot. But after looking in our car and asking some accusatory questions ("You gotta be honest with me, if you're smoking pot just tell me..."), they still wanted to do a full search of the car. We declined this request because it was clearly unnecessary. "If you aren't doing anything, why can't we search the car?" Give us a break...
By this time there were two cars and three officers and at least one or two of them was probably younger than me. What the hell? All for listening to music while sitting in the parking lot of a school that's not two minutes from my house. I pay taxes, dammit! This is a public place! Still suspicious, they finally let us go but told us to go straight home. We complied, but the more I've thought about it, the more the whole situation has bothered me.
I've lived here all my life. I watched that school being built when I was younger and I used to ride my bike to it when I attended. I learned how to parallel park in the same parking lot where we were trying to listen to the mixes and I still run around the school's fields for exercise. I feel like this is MY neighborhood and now some one wants to tell me that I have to leave when I am doing nothing unlawful. Hell, we went there in the first place out of consideration of our neighbors.
I suppose it's all a sign of the times. Where I live used to be the "country," but not so much any more. The cities are gaining ground and it's really starting to show. Although it will always be "home," things just aren't the same anymore.
I used to know almost everyone at my local bank by first name, but since hours/policies have changed it seems like there is someone new every week. Then, the place was robbed a couple weeks ago. Only a few weeks before, the local pharmacy down the street was also robbed.
I used to keep my car unlocked in my driveway until some punk kids stole my entire CD collection from my car less than a year ago. The police caught the kids but never found my CDs...
What can I do? I guess it's just the way of the world, and I have to adapt/accept/evolve. But that doesn't mean I have to like it...
Although giving presentations is a little different than playing (I have nothing to hide behind while I talk/play), the kids were great and I enjoyed talking to/with them. They had some funny questions, too: "Where did you get your Chucks?" "How long did it take to grow your beard?" "Does your hair always look like that?" "Can I be your manager?"
I gave out some FLB stickers and their teacher very kindly took pictures of the kids putting them to use:
---------------
The night before I went to the high school, my brother and I went out to the car to listen to some rough album mixes (which are now in the final process of mastering). We got in my brother's car and decided to drive down the street to a local school to listen since it was 11pm and my neighbors have little kids (we didn't want to wake them).
As we pulled into the school parking lot, I made a joke about the cops showing up thinking that we were up to no good. Well, before we parked and made it through the first song, TWO patrol cars roll up and are shining lights in the car. At that point I was sitting in the middle of the back seat (to get a proper stereo image) and I just put my hands up. What a bummer.
I have nothing but admiration and respect for police officers. My grandfather and several of my relatives were/are law enforcement officers, and I know they have a very stressful and dangerous job. But I'll be honest, cops make me nervous most of the time. Not because I've done anything wrong, but because I'm often made to feel like I have when I haven't done a thing. Plus, I'm all too aware that history has seen many honest men go down at the hands of corrupt/erroneous "justice."
The cops look in the car and ask us to get out. They take our IDs and run them and question us. They seem very suspicious, and I suppose I understand why. Not often are two guys just listening to music while sitting in a school parking lot. But after looking in our car and asking some accusatory questions ("You gotta be honest with me, if you're smoking pot just tell me..."), they still wanted to do a full search of the car. We declined this request because it was clearly unnecessary. "If you aren't doing anything, why can't we search the car?" Give us a break...
By this time there were two cars and three officers and at least one or two of them was probably younger than me. What the hell? All for listening to music while sitting in the parking lot of a school that's not two minutes from my house. I pay taxes, dammit! This is a public place! Still suspicious, they finally let us go but told us to go straight home. We complied, but the more I've thought about it, the more the whole situation has bothered me.
I've lived here all my life. I watched that school being built when I was younger and I used to ride my bike to it when I attended. I learned how to parallel park in the same parking lot where we were trying to listen to the mixes and I still run around the school's fields for exercise. I feel like this is MY neighborhood and now some one wants to tell me that I have to leave when I am doing nothing unlawful. Hell, we went there in the first place out of consideration of our neighbors.
I suppose it's all a sign of the times. Where I live used to be the "country," but not so much any more. The cities are gaining ground and it's really starting to show. Although it will always be "home," things just aren't the same anymore.
I used to know almost everyone at my local bank by first name, but since hours/policies have changed it seems like there is someone new every week. Then, the place was robbed a couple weeks ago. Only a few weeks before, the local pharmacy down the street was also robbed.
I used to keep my car unlocked in my driveway until some punk kids stole my entire CD collection from my car less than a year ago. The police caught the kids but never found my CDs...
What can I do? I guess it's just the way of the world, and I have to adapt/accept/evolve. But that doesn't mean I have to like it...
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