Saturday, November 29, 2003
I have a band. This dates back to May or so. We're a karaoke band. Super Karaoke Fun Time Band. We play covers and people buying drinks sing em. If you've ever fronted a band, you know the rush. If you haven't, well, you should come down some Wednesday night. It's better than tapes. Much better.
Back in April, I was offered a couple nights a week at a club to do with what I please. The remarkable thing about this is that I had spent the last two years driving around the Northeast and Midwest looking for just such an offer and it fell in my lap. At a tax meeting. My accountant owned a club and offered to give me his slow nights. I needed a band.
Took a while to find the right guys. We lost our drummer an hour before the first rehearsal and our bass player disappeared a few months in. But this was all fine, because one week before we were supposed to start, the building the club was in fell down. Not fast. Really, really slow. Took six months, but it fell down. Which was OK, cuz we weren't ready.
Replacing the bass player was a real jump start. I had Sammy on lead guitar. Hot shot and I worked with him for a couple years in the late 90's. He just wants to play his guitar. And he knows how to play. He is the Sultan of Swing. Sammy has his own band, The Dark Horses. Kevin is our drummer. He's in two other bands. They all involve family members. We rehearse in his loft. Arthur is the recent addition on bass. Guy I know from the hood. We needed a bass player, he wanted in, done and done. Just like that. At damn near the very last second I had left to come up with a bass player. Total synchronicity. This is the band. And by "the band," I mean "THE BAND!" I'm the weakest musician in the bunch, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I bring other things to the table.
Our first show was just a few weeks ago. And it was a live radio broadcast. Sink or swim. We did a rowdy water ballet. Documentation available here. Fun side streets thus and thus.
It took a while to figure out how to do this. First time I was aware of the concept was in 1991. My pals Workdogs did it a few times for kicks in a few clubs. They ran through tons of great ideas a few times. They did a live rock game show, they did shows with different sidemen at EVERY SHOW! You see, they are a duo. Drum and bass, but not like that. Old school. Very. Brilliant, genius! I always thought the idea of a live karaoke band would fly.
I did Cheap Trick's I Want You To Want Me with them. Didn't need the lyrics. Christ, I probly sung it more than a couple times over the years.
That's something you should know about me and my band. We're fearless. We'll try anything that is within our interest and capabilities.
We're very interested and extremely capable
On Wednesday, we begin a weekly gig. Plus, I will be running Sonic KarniVision every Tuesday night. I'm a professional entertainer. The dream has become reality. Project SMonkey. And so it begins.
Back in April, I was offered a couple nights a week at a club to do with what I please. The remarkable thing about this is that I had spent the last two years driving around the Northeast and Midwest looking for just such an offer and it fell in my lap. At a tax meeting. My accountant owned a club and offered to give me his slow nights. I needed a band.
Took a while to find the right guys. We lost our drummer an hour before the first rehearsal and our bass player disappeared a few months in. But this was all fine, because one week before we were supposed to start, the building the club was in fell down. Not fast. Really, really slow. Took six months, but it fell down. Which was OK, cuz we weren't ready.
Replacing the bass player was a real jump start. I had Sammy on lead guitar. Hot shot and I worked with him for a couple years in the late 90's. He just wants to play his guitar. And he knows how to play. He is the Sultan of Swing. Sammy has his own band, The Dark Horses. Kevin is our drummer. He's in two other bands. They all involve family members. We rehearse in his loft. Arthur is the recent addition on bass. Guy I know from the hood. We needed a bass player, he wanted in, done and done. Just like that. At damn near the very last second I had left to come up with a bass player. Total synchronicity. This is the band. And by "the band," I mean "THE BAND!" I'm the weakest musician in the bunch, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I bring other things to the table.
Our first show was just a few weeks ago. And it was a live radio broadcast. Sink or swim. We did a rowdy water ballet. Documentation available here. Fun side streets thus and thus.
It took a while to figure out how to do this. First time I was aware of the concept was in 1991. My pals Workdogs did it a few times for kicks in a few clubs. They ran through tons of great ideas a few times. They did a live rock game show, they did shows with different sidemen at EVERY SHOW! You see, they are a duo. Drum and bass, but not like that. Old school. Very. Brilliant, genius! I always thought the idea of a live karaoke band would fly.
I did Cheap Trick's I Want You To Want Me with them. Didn't need the lyrics. Christ, I probly sung it more than a couple times over the years.
That's something you should know about me and my band. We're fearless. We'll try anything that is within our interest and capabilities.
We're very interested and extremely capable
On Wednesday, we begin a weekly gig. Plus, I will be running Sonic KarniVision every Tuesday night. I'm a professional entertainer. The dream has become reality. Project SMonkey. And so it begins.
