So You Want To Play In a Band Part 14

Things that happen on the bandstand

Part of doing live shows is learning to keep the performance flowing no matter what is actually happening on stage.
I have been in attendance of shows when a performer will literally stop the show because a volume level is not right or worse yet will stop a song half way through to start again because he or she felt it could have been played better. Some band members will choose to discuss a problem like a missed chord change, or a mistake in reading a chart, or simply a wrong note played. Although there is always room for improvement, discussion on stage in the middle of a set is not the time or the place. As a dance band it becomes important to ride out problems in order to keep patrons on the floor dancing.

For instance…

The second weekend in July Blueshadow is playing on The Patio at the Traverse City Holiday Inn and it is hot. We were about two thirds thru the first set when our lead vocal steps off stage. She calmly walks to the bar and sits down. The band finishes Easy with the horns filling in the vocals best that we could. Looking to our vocalist she lets us know she was over heated and needed a break. With that we played 2 instrumentals to finish the set. During the set break we put an extension on her mic cable and brought in a bar stool and set her up in the shade where she finished the night. The Band had to crane their necks to watch for cues. We played to an encore – a good night.

Another Time…

BlueShadow was playing near the Beach and it was windy. During the first set the music stands kept trying to blow over so we played with one foot on the stand base. Between sets the duct tape was brought out to secure the stands to the stage. Even with the stands secure the pages with clothes pins were blowing around and our bassist had a whole set blow off his stand. (As it turns out like most bass players he really isn’t looking at the chart)

Saxophone issues…

Last Friday we were playing at the Wild Pony for the regulars and a small wedding reception. Jerry has been pushing for more synchronized horn movements. I am all for that! This entails horn shakes, lifting the horns over the head and right and left shifts. I like to use a string type neck strap. It is less visible than an actual strap. Unfortunately it is not as durable. I have now broken two this summer. I do however, keep a spare on stage. A bigger disaster is losing a pad in the middle of a song. When this happened (as calmly as I could) I set the offending horn on the stand, moved offstage to my spare horn and assembled it. Came back on stage flipped on the tuner and tuned the notes that came up on the chart. This allowed me to finish that song. Before we started the next one I tuned the critical notes (tenor sax) C G AC. I was ready by the next downbeat.

There are many small and big issues that occur on the band stand and the trick is never let the audience or dancers know there was any problem. The Band Scout motto: Be prepared for anything and stay cool.

The Street Party…

Our next gig was a Friday Night Live. If you are not local to Traverse City Mi, let me explain. The Downtown authority during the summer months will block off the street and have a block party with entertainment. We were that entertainment.

While waiting for the tow trucks to remove the last of the unfortunate cars on the street, I noticed a local news van parking in a strategic spot. The tech guy started pulling cables. Not wanting to miss an opportunity I struck up a conversation. We talked about the cars being towed, where the BlueShadow Band would set up and more importantly where he was planning to shoot. He told me that I should meet with the on-air talent. A few minutes passed and a young woman approached and I was introduced to the reporter who was covering Friday Night Live. She looked familiar, and I soon learned that she had formerly been a hostess at one of the clubs where we had played regularly. Being as this was one of her first field assignments, she was pleased to report on BlueShadow band, a group she knew and liked. I introduced her to Joanie, our lead vocalist and presto a spot on the 6 o’clock news. More importantly, our band was the back drop for her report.

Setting up...

During set-up we discovered the only power source given to us was a single 20amp extension cord. This was not going to be enough. Jerry and I scrambled for a chain of extension cords and the nearest outlet. Pete fired up the P.A. and other various amps. Jerry and I hoped for no fires. It all worked to perfection.

Guest on the Bandstand…

Lately, we have been approached by local musicians during sets hinting to the band that they would like to perform a song with us. To me it all seems a little presumptuous. Jerry told me this will happen more and as the band gets known. He told me it’s a good thing. I will leave to him to decide who will play or not play. However, last night playing at the street party, a guy with a tambourine decided to join the band unexpectedly. At first he stood behind Pete (our drummer) but soon became more emboldened and I found him standing right next to me. I tend to move when we play so after bumping into me twice the third time I gave him the elbow to let him know he had to back off. Thinking he left I turned around to find Mr. Tambourine Man playing his tambourine right in front of Pete’s face ala Will Farrell as the Blue Oyster Cult Cow-bell player on SNL(Saturday Night Live).
All in a nights work.

Until next time…

So You Want To Play In a Band Part 13

I have not written in this space for a while. To catch up, BlueShadow has just finished up a 2 month stint as the house band every Friday at the Wild Pony. It was a good run. Some nights were better than others. The band played well, however as the weather got better we found ourselves competing with Mother Nature for an audience. Being an early spring, nice warm Fridays made for slower nights at the Wild Pony. There were always a group of regular dancers (that were greatly appreciated by the band) keeping the players energized.
Here I would like to interject the importance of keeping your ear to the ground concerning gig opportunities and the dedication to the band to make them happen. When it came to the band’s attention that one of the local hotels was looking for entertainment, Pete sprang into action and made contact with the management. He called me to get a few press kits put together with CDs. Unfortunately, the meeting he arranged fell through. When the management called back and told him they could meet on short notice, Pete knew he would not be able to make that meeting so he handed the ball and

press kits to Jerry and sent him over. Jerry talked his way in and we had a gig the next Saturday.
Now that spring has given over to summer, our venues have taken on an “al fresco” style. I met Jerry at The Patio located on the beach in downtown Traverse City to get lay of the land. We decided to hold a practice outside in front of Jerry’s garage to work out the sound difficulties of playing in the open air. Gone are the black pants and the 50’s style black shirts with a white stripe. The first gig we wore more of a “parrot head” outfit (Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants).
Saturday afternoon arrived and the band began to set up. It had been an overcast day and it rained the night before. This worked in our favor in two ways. First, the night before BlueShadow performed at the Wild Pony and we benefited from the poor weather by having a good crowd. Secondly, the band that was supposed to open The Patio for the season was rained out. That left the summer opening for us!The manager asked us to begin at 4:30. At the start it was a pretty light crowd, however the band was up to the challenge

. When we reached the 2nd set we had some dancers in front of the stage and on the beach. By the 3rd set management was dragging in more chairs and a boat came in close and moored along the beach. At the end of 4th set the folks at the bar wanted an encore. Joanie made a quick eye check with Greg (the Manager) he gave the O.K. and we launched into “Sweet Home Chicago”. It was a great end to a successful opening of The Patio

. Apparently the Holiday Inn must have agreed. They contacted Jerry the next Monday and we will be playing ther

e six more times over the summer. I invited comments from a few friends that attended that night and they thought that BlueShadow never sounded better.

So You Want To Play In a Band Part 12

Ok, as a band we are playing regularly. Each performance as a horn section we are choreographing a few movements to add a little flash.

I think it’s important for the band to look like its having as much fun as the people we are playing for. If the dance floor is a little slow, I have been known to go out and try to shake it up with sax in hand and normally on a vamp of no more then 8 or 9 notes. Just having fun, looking like I am playing off the cuff. The truth is I am having the time of my life. The only thing better than being at a New Years Eve Party, is playing one.

I have included a couple clips. Check out the horn movement

The horn sections in bands like Earth Wind and Fire, Ohio Players, or even K.C. and the Sunshine Band make it look so effortless. I watch those players in amazement. Jerry once tried the trumpet spin only to send his tuning slide flying.

In addition to learning some choreographed moves, the band is always adding songs to our repertoire. This week's additions are "Mack the Knife", "Take me to the River", "Pink Cadillac", and Marvin Gaye's "Whats Going On?". Quite the diverse spread of styles.

"Whats Going On?" will require some work on a soprano sax. That saxophone has a unique quality to its tone. I have found when playing a soprano, intonation is always a challenge. I have found the quality and abilities of my band mates require that I strive to improve and become more versatile.

This coming week will be the start of a one month stint at the Wild Pony in Traverse City playing every Friday night.

Hope to see you there.

So You Want To Play In a Band Part 11

A GOOD NIGHT

When we agreed to play as the house band for 2 months I did not realize that one of those Fridays was Good Friday needless to say it was not one of the busiest nights at the venue. The band was determined to put in the extra effort to make the next Friday a big night for both us and the owners of the club.
I created more fliers and invited everyone I could think of to be there on Friday. We arrived at 6:30 and started to set up. It is interesting the longer the band is together the more there is to set up. With no roadies the process is about an hour.
By 7:45 the band was ready to go. The restaurant area was doing pretty well. To keep the crowd Jerry had Dave asked if we could start early? So at 8:00 BlueShadow started the first set. The crowd was very enthusiastic and hit the dance floor. When we finished the first set. A group of partiers ask if they could take pictures with the band. Jerry said it would be O.K. (full disclosure – they were attractive young ladies). We allowed them to hold the instruments in the horn section. Todd was a little nervous about the freshly lacquered horns that he just finished the night before.
The Band was very on and great time was being had by all. During the 2nd set someone thought it would be a good idea if I went out on the dance floor while playing Land of 1000 dances. It was a riot! There were pictures taken I am waiting for them to show up on the web site.
We wrapped the 4th and last set at 12 midnight. The bar manager noticed that we were about to break the equipment down. He came over to the stage and told me that we needed to play to 12:30. (The bar gave drink tickets good until 12:30.) I told him that would not be a problem. However, the band would need five minutes. It was decided that we would play 3 more songs with extended solos.
5 minutes later we were back at it. Part way through Knock on Wood we had a dancer fully intent on disrupting the horn section. She commenced to shimmy and shake right in front of Jerry and me. When that didn’t do it she started a bump grind with my stand. I did have to stop for 2 measures to catch my music be for it hit the floor. She won.

So You Want To Play In a Band Part 10

Band Business 101

BlueShadow had been together in one form or another for a little more than a year. We decided it was time to make it official. In band meetings, which occur 5 minutes before practice, we discussed options for an official entity. These discussions went on for a couple of months. In the mean time, I was taking the checks for the band and filing out the form 1099. In February I did my taxes. The I.R.S. sent me a note reminding me that I had become self employed as a musician and there would be consequences. The next time BlueShadow met I pushed hard for an L.L.C. Everybody had Ideas of how that would be formed. However, by the next practice we were no closer to that goal.

Jerry and I went to see a lawyer. He could certainly get it done for $500. The Band did not want to spend that kind of money to form an L.L.C. I looked online to see if we could do it ourselves. Jerry and I met and discussed our options. Still feeling like it was never going to get done, I felt another check looming at the next Friday’s gig. Fortunately for me the check writer that night was not there. I fained disappointment but inside felt a little relief. I would just collect after we formed our corporation.

Once again Jerry stepped up to the plate and purchased a book “How to Set Up an L.L.C.”. We decided to not form the corporation under the BlueShadow name. Instead Frankie Productions was used. Frankie is a name with meaning for the original members. Jerry’s leg work and a trip to the bank finalized the L.L.C. I don’t want to forget that Bev, Jerry’s wife, was very involved in creating this corporation. It was formidable task creating Frankie Productions from a group of Band Monkeys, as we are referred to by Bev.

Now for a logo and to that end, a phone call to Mark Meyer, good friend and amazing artist. Pete, Mark and I met at a coffee shop downtown. Pete expressed some Ideas to Mark. On the back of a scrap of paper he started sketching. Within 10 minutes we had 2 great ideas. At the last moment Mark said he had an idea, and with 2 strokes of an eraser added a white mustache. Looks like anyone we know? It was Jerry—perfect.

Being in a band does not just mean showing up and playing a horn, guitar, or singing. There are literally hundreds of small details that need attention to make a band work. Forming the L.L.C. was just one of those details. It is not always fun, but it is worth it. Every band needs at least 1 “Jerry” to move the band forward, pushing it to evolve and improve.

So You Want To Play In a Band Part 9

November was a time of change for BlueShadow. Personalities and relationships can fray. In any band change is inevitable; it was just our time. Melissa was no longer in the band. The reasons are unimportant now. I will tell you that some of my favorite moments of being in any performing group were singing harmony with Melissa on Suspicious Minds. When that tune comes on the radio you will find me singing for all I am worth and remembering those gigs---Thanks Melissa.








Now the search was on. With gigs coming up, we had the task of filling the lead vocal spot. The next gig in December was too close and BlueShadow would not be ready so we cancelled. This, in my opinion, is breaking one of the biggest rules in the business.







Jerry had been talking to vocalists and had asked the best candidate to come to our practice. Enter Joanie Stanley, fresh from performing as Patsy Cline to sell out audiences at the Play House.








Joanie can sing! I was also impressed with her ability to sight read the charts we threw at her. Now my only question was dedication to BlueShadow. It is always a band decision, so after talking with Joanie and Jerry I was convinced. (Joanie’s commitment has been proven time and time again over the last 5 months.)








Our first gig with Joanie as the vocalist was coming up fast (mid December). The band went into a two practice per week mode in order to get Joanie up to speed on 40+ songs. Amazingly it was not too steep of a challenge for her. When the night came I felt that we would be able to make it happen.






The start time was set for 9pm. Band members arrive typically at 6:30 to set-up. By 7pm we still did not have a guitar player. With no word from him we started to make calls. The last call was made to A.J. He was known to Todd, Pete, and me as a top notch bass/guitar player. He showed up at about 8:30. We did not have any music for him, so he read from the bass charts. A.J. played an amazing performance with great solo riffs.








The powerful vocals from Joanie (which is a whole other level from practice) and pinch hitting from A.J. had the owners asking Joanie and me to their office to offer us a two month stint as the house band.







A lesson learned, always have a back-up in mind. BlueShadow currently has a book of local players to fill in case of an emergency.
We had yet another gig New Years Eve, still without a regular guitar player. Pete convinced a friend to play with us for that show, so with only one practice we headed for a date with the New Year.








The show went very well. So well in fact, that we were paid a bonus. I have put a small clip of that night in the blog. One of the spouses took the footage. We had a great time in Frankfort. Again, some good pinch hitting in the rhythm section. Pleased with the night’s performance, I headed for home into the snowy night








.
More change. The band was in search of a permanent guitarist. We put the word out that BlueShadow was in need of a new band member. Jerry was contacted by three qualified players. I was pleased that good guitarists wanted to be part of our band. After hearing the players run through 10 or so songs, Mike Hunter was asked to join.








Mike certainly had the skills to play any of the charts we were performing, and moreover his feel for each song was and still is always dead on, either instinctively or he just knows every Motown, R&B, and Rock song ever written.








BlueShadow is complete and the band plays on...

So You Want To Play in a Band Part 8

2009 was a successful start for a new band. In an attempt to create more show opportunities the Band played on the Board walk in Downtown Traverse City during Cherry festival. That particular time one member of the band was a no show due to an earlier incident. Now the rest of the Band had a decision to make. Do we cancel or with no guitar we do our best with what we had. We decided to persevere and go on and play. This involved extra work for Al (piano) to supply more of the melodies for the vocalist. Dave was asked to supply guitar riffs on his bass. Horn players supplied more or longer solos. It was an O.K. outing as BlueShadow. Knowing what was required as musicians we felt pretty good about it.

Other notable gigs were the Beach Bash and Monster Bash. On the Beach Bash gig I learned to limbo with a saxophone. It was a fun night. As for the Monster Bash we all dressed up in costume. This included Elvis, Slash, Elvira, a Texaco Man, Sailor, and Funkenstien. Pictures are worth a thousand words. So here are some pictures.

The great posters were created by the very talented Mark Meyer

next time changes....