The History of the Six Shooter Band Dave Jackson

April 3: DAVE, Johnny, and DAVE
Dave puts together a “Fan Letter” to send to the guy at the bar that wanted our schedule. In honesty, the “Fan Magazine” is really a flyer for a drummer. Dave sets out to the local music stores and tacks up the flyer. While he is there he gets a few numbers. In calling the first number (guy looking for a country/oldies rock band) Dave finds “Dave” who just moved to the area from Tennessee. Sounds like a real country boy. He sounds hungry for a band. Unfortunately, he lives near new Philadelphia (deep south Ohio). Meanwhile, Kevin has finally made contact of Johnny Rodregous. Johnny is the drummer of a band called “Little Country.” It’s nice to have prospects. Dave also has another number to use if needed. John on the other hand has now received a call from Glen at the Tangled Spur. Glen has talked to this guy, and he wants in the band. The drummer again named “DAVE” was in the house band at the tangled spur.
“Tennessee Dave” will be coming over this Tuesday to audition. Unfortunately, Seth will be having his wisdom teeth pulled this weekend and may not be functional by Tuesday. He’s really worried about “going under the knife.” John will be moving into his new house in Boliver this weekend.
April 7: Tennessee Dave StinksDave walks in behind John. Tennessee Dave has beat everyone to the house. As Dave and John move towards the stairs, they hear the sound of a dead groundhog being thrown into a fan (thump, chunk, gutta, whack). Dave voices, “that didn’t sound to good” to which John mutters, “maybe he is tuning up.”
Tennessee Dave (who will be referred to as TD) is one eager beaver. He’s really nervous. To make it easy on him, we let him pick the first song. He picks Margaritaville. While not exactly a hugely technical piece, we will be able to test his meter. The song starts and TD takes off. While his meter isn’t too bad. He is playing some kind of “cha-cha beat” on acid. The band mentally scratches its head.
The launch into another song. It’s official he sucks. He says he has been playing for 17 years. Apparently, he plays one day a year. The band launches into Grundy County Auction - at warp speed.
Kevin and Dave giggle as they try to keep up with the pace.
The meaning behind the looks as the band glances at each other is priceless. TD makes remarks between songs that make Lee’s comments sound like he was related to Einstein (more head scratching). TD is into Merril Haggard.
The crowning touch was as we did “Fast as You.” It was just awful. As John put it, “I don’t think he could hold his meter for more than a measure.” He was really making Lee look good. Dave usually ready to blast off, cuts the lead short. That’s how bad he sucked. Realizing the practice was a waste, the band plays The Dance ala Maggot brain. At least we all get a good chuckle.
We also get a good whiff. Dave was curious before we started to play, but it’s official now. Not only does TD suck on the drums, HE SMELLS. NOW WHAT DO WE DO? The band politely interviews him (realizing that Hell is not freezing over, and he’s not getting hired). Seth had left after two or three songs to attend to his diarrhea (thanks for sharing). TD strums Dave’s guitar and sings. Dave just wants to scream IT’S OVER! YOU SUCK. HOW CAN YOU NOT KNOW YOU SUCK?!! Kevin and John remain polite. Dave is trying to send the body language to get this guy out and let's make some phone calls. The band finally gets the hint when Dave starts turning off the lights. He finally leaves. Wow, that was a truly memorable experience.

April 14: No LuckDave and Kevin have been phoning different numbers they have picked up, but can’t get anyone to return their calls. Oh well.

April 21: Good News Bad NewsDave gets a call from Kevin. We have a drummer coming over tomorrow. This relieves Dave who was getting ready to resurrect the...

May 30: Prepping For the Cheese Festival           Well, it’s been a fun few weeks. Seth got married, Dave had to go to Columbus, John missed a practice also. The band reforms and starts to put the pieces together. Dale has done a good job of playing catch up. While there are still a few rough areas, none of them sound like mistakes. Basically, he is in the same boat as all of us.
           The band pulls a Thursday practice trying to get it all together. Dale picks the tunes we do, and practices is over early at 8:30. There is some discussion about the hiring of one of Dale’s friends (Lou) who will be running a system that is partly his and part Dales. Originally we were going to pay him 50 bucks to run our sound, but that has changed to 100 bucks to run his system. The benefit (we were thinking) was that we wouldn’t have to haul anything to the gig but our bodies and amps. It turns out this is not the case. We need to bring mic stands, microphones, and cables. Everything but speakers and power amps. Since the sound guy is getting 220% more than I am, I am a little miffed. However, I choose to wait and see how we sound before I decide if I want to complain or not. The good news is that after the gig, I pack my amp and I am homeward bound. Kevin will still have some things to unpack at the house. So yes, there are some mixed feelings.
           On the positive side, it will be so nice to get back on stage. One of the greatest things about this band is -well this band. It’s cool playing and getting off on everyone else’s talent. Dale blows Lee’s playing off of the planet. Some of the stuff we thought Dale was playing wrong, but it turns out that Lee was playing it wrong for months (And we thought it was right).
           The awkwardness is gone, and we’re all pretty pumped to take the stage. With a veteran soundman and a working sound system, it will be nice to set up at the festival (some type of fireman’s cheese jubilee) in Brewster and just PLAY.


 Rain Rain Go Away           The day of the festival arrives with a constant rain that lasts the entire day. Dave drives to the festival just in case the stage was under a tarp. Instead, he finds a hollowed out truck trailer under water. While a few dry spots were on the stage, there is no way we could set up and play. Dave, Seth, and Kevin (along with their significant others) go to the movie “Scream.”
           The height of the excitement that the band felt had only lifted them further up for a fall. We’re all bummed out.


The Blur that was the Spring of 1997           As mentioned before, Dave had gone to Columbus, Seth had got married, we replaced Lee, Mary at the Tangled Spur died, John moved, John got ill (to the point of lung damage), and now Kevin is getting married and leaving the band. July 1rst the band meets with what will more than likely be the last practice at Kevin’s house. Seth serenades Kevin with different lyrics to songs begging him not to leave.
           While it is great to finally all be together, it is a very gloomy practice. The band has a discussion on what direction to take next. We talk about hiring a female singer but decide to bypass that option. We need to run an ad for a singer and knock on some doors to try and get a gig. Through our trials of occasionally practicing, our chops have gotten rusty, and we’re sounding pretty awful. We all agree it’s time to bump up the priority of the band.
           Dale mentions that he may be leaving for Tennessee in February. This is solidified in a few weeks when he begins selling furniture to his house.
           The devastation of the festival getting rained out has multiplied and robbed a great live band of all its momentum. Kris asks Dave one night, “Why...

August 7: We’re Going Back to Cappy’sWith Kevin in Pennsylvania, John makes the trip to Cappy’s. There is plenty of good news. In talking with John, Chuck (the bar owner) says “People are talking” about our appearance. Consequently, Chuck has asked us to return September 6 and 7 with a raise in pay of $300 ($700 total for the weekend). Cappy’s also wants to hold a dance for teens on a Sunday night sometime THIS MONTH (OH YEAH). This is for an undisclosed amount. Things are definitely looking up.



August 10: Dave Gets BoofedDave and Kevin decide to go to Cappy’s this weekend to see “Phoenix.’ Dave hits the “Red Pepper” in Barberton only to find that it’s closed. He then goes to the Shenandoah and drops off a tape. Pretty much the same tune as before at the Shenandoah (they want us to audition again). The Shenandoah is such a dive. There are never more than 20 people in there at a time. Dave then goes to the Tangled Spur only to find that the house band has pulled it together (thus no room for Six Shooter).
At Cappy’s Dave sees Phoenix drummer Jack Beam whom he knows from past experience (he originally talked to Jack about purchasing drums back when Six Shooter first formed). The band opens up with Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “House is a Rockin” and performs other country classics as the Georgia Satellite’s “Keep Your Hands to Yourself.” The band has a front man that sings and plays the harmonica. This means every song has a harmonica part. The band is running the sound via a snake from the front. While their song list may not be as good as Six Shooter’s, their sound is solid. Their in-between song banter is moot. They barely come up with anything to discuss except the bachelorette party going on in the back. They sounded good, but Dave is a little confused on their choice of country songs. Dave is a little pissed at the fact that Kevin and Maria are a no-show. Dave is curious as they decided not to meet at their house (minutes away), if this was preplanned. Dave’s feelings are hurt but will survive. The lack of communication via voice mail or answering machine was the exact thing the band was concerned with Lee last weekend. John was a “possibly maybe” due to relatives in from out of town. After watching the first song of the second set, Dave leaves. On his way to the parking lot, Dave hears the band launch into Sly and the Family Stone's “Dance to the Music” in the middle of Watermelon Crawl. This song did start off with a drum solo that was impressive.
Upon returning to the Shenandoah, Dave listens to the “Country Jammers” do (you guessed it) “Keep your Hands To Yourself” by the Georgia Satellites. They also did some Merle Haggart song. It’s been a bad night, and Dave heads for home.
Later when talking to Kevin, Kevin explains that they just didn’t make it. As Kevin puts it, “you got boofed.”


August 17: Kevin Goes a Pimpin’Kevin hits the Carriage House and the Elms club and admits that neither sound promising. Meanwhile ,Dave has tried to get the Shenandoah to relinquish their “Must Audition” policy, but they say we still have to audition. I think John summed it up best when he sarcastically said, “We’re not playing the Shenandoah- Boo-Hoo, Waaa.”



September 5: Repair WorkWell t,he band is rusty due to a cancellation of practice. It’s been a fun time. John and Kevin have been tearing apart the power amps. Two transistors are replaced. After much testing ,it appears that the amplifiers have simply lost their balls. There is no real punch. Then suddenly they came to life (it appears one of the outputs is funky). Unfortunately ,John and Kevin are up late most of the week. The sound check on Thursday night ended around midnight. Oh yes, work will be fun tomorrow.



September 6-7 Back at...

October 18 Cappy’s, Buns, and Bow Ties
The band gets a rude awakening when Lee sees that the band’s name on the Cappy’s marquee for October 18 and 19. The band was practicing for the following week (the 25th). We work with the owner, and he ends up putting us on after a Male review called “California Hunks” (from Columbus Ohio). The band waits in the back as men are not allowed in the bar as a group of 70 or so women fondle and paw at the loincloth-wearing pieces of meat. Dave starts off the night on stage with his Ted Nugent imitation, “Mercy mercy, I’ve died and gone to heaven, I’m playin’ to a bar full of horny woman.” This evokes a “Dave!?” from Kevin.
The women were sloshed. We were even joined on stage by a drunken wench that the band affectionately referred to as Bambi. She had brown hair and weighed about 45 pounds. As she jumped up on stage and began to wiggle and jiggle, John gave her a “bump” and shot-putted her halfway across the stage. Dave joined John in using Bambi as a human ping pong ball. During Bubba Hyde, Dave was doing the famous James Brown arrangement. He went out and “bumped” with Bambi. As they boogied back to back, Dave realizes that if he moves too quick Bambi is gonna end up on the floor. When he finally maneuvers to get away, Dave feels an arm come over his shoulder as Bambi tires to keep him on the dance floor. Dave does a spin move and catapults himself back to the safe haven of the stage (Glad to get back with his life intact).
Later during a break, Bambi helped herself to a microphone. At this point, Dave went up on stage and said enough is enough. Later Bambi would try to get a whole sentence out to explain that she want’s us to sing “Bappy Hirthday.” Later John witnesses as Bambi’s female traveling partner bites her tit on the dance floor. The owner explains that things were getting a little overheated in the parking lot.
The band has a blast, but without a sound check, they don’t sound as sharp as usual out front. Chucky works out the bugs, but the stage volume is too loud and again, the monitors are almost useless. Dave has an extremely hard time hearing his backup vocals. When he does hear them, they’re pretty rough. The band performs 3 new songs. These were My Maria, Daddy’s Money, and On a Good Night (show opener).
Saturday has the band moving the board to a new spot. In the process, the band’s sound clears up and it sounds awesome! The band turns down their stage volume, and the monitors are heard loud and clear. Unfortunately, it’s sweetest day, and the crowd is beyond shy. The band is treated to the pleasure of asking someone to turn off the jukebox. Dave tries to get a giggle by insinuating that Madonna has a venereal disease and that’s why she had a cesarean delivery of her child (he refrains from making a joke about finding missing super bowl rings). Unfortunately Ernie the DJ is short on CD’s and asks the band to play a little longer sets. Hmm... the band enters the lovely land of improvisation on stage. They pull off a version of Boot-Scootin' Boogie that must have lasted almost 10 minutes. Kevin was like a quarterback calling plays at the line of scrimmage. As he announces “Extended version” in the middle of Watermelon Crawl. The band pulls a few songs off the “Left-over” list, and realize why most of them are on the list in the first place (they suck). Dave accidentally cuts Ain’t nothin Wrong with the Radio in half as he puts the solo in the wrong place. However, in hindsight, this was probably a blessing.
The band can’t believe the dead quiet after each song. The band would hammer out the final chords of a song, end it with a thunderous crunch and then you would hear the chirping of crickets in the back corner of the bar.
Dave receives a job offer to join a band that is playing out 2 times a month. I think they were called Southern Exposure or something. Anyway, he takes the guy’s number just to be...

October 26: Kevin Keeps his Foot in the DoorDave goes over to Kevin’s to get his amp for the Southern Heart practice-steal your keyboard player session. In talking with Maria and Kevin, Dave and Kevin voice some items that have been brooding in their minds. Dave hasn’t always been 100% thrilled with the fact that John has never really learned what is on the record (in terms of bass parts). While he has learned enough to stumble through, he’s never learned that extra 15% that can make a difference. Other issues are discussed, and Dave explains how he’s not upset at Kevin, but more the situation. He’s kind of excited about looking at different options. The thought of singing with someone else is still a very foreign idea. Dave realizes that Kevin is part owner of the drum set. Yet another complication to work out. Kevin explains how Tuesday John, Dave and Lee can decide what direction they will take. With John moving, moving practice back to John’s may not be an option. Suddenly the Southern Heart audition takes on a different meaning. Dave is 100% positive John will jump back into bed with Dan and revive their band “The Bends.” “On to a new frontier,” Dave thinks as he walks across Kevin’s front lawn. He embraces the fear of the unknown and decides to make the most out of a depressing situation.
During their discussion, Maria explains that with her current work schedule and band practice, she only sees Kevin one night a week. “AHA!” Dave thinks - the missing objection. Dave pats himself on the back for using his “handling objection” skills.
Later that day................................................
Kevin calls Dave to explain some things. After thinking a few things out, Kevin realizes that it’s not fair just to say “I quit” and bolt out the door. The band has never had a chance to change its ways. Consequently, Kevin wants to sit down with the band and discuss some of the issues that he and Dave had discussed previously in the day. While the band has got along great, played above average, Dave and Kevin realize that communication is really lacking. We need to put ALL of our concerns on the table. We need to polish up on being a band and strengthening the four-way-marriage that is the band.
In a sense, if we addressed all his concerns, Kevin feels the band would fun again. This pretty much shoots the shit out of Dave’s “Handling Objections” theories. Dave kicks himself in the balls and makes a mental note that most salesmen are full of shit.
Dave is relieved and looks forward to the communication challenge of the coming practice on Tuesday.

October 29: Kevin Goes PublicKevin announces to the band that as of Friday he quit. He has since thought it over and thought it only fair to try to reconcile our differences first. The main problems are:
• Stage volume is too loud and the equipment being unreliable adds to frustrations.
• The amount of negativity that abounds at practice-usually brought about by bashing Graphic Enterprises for 30-40 minutes.
• The lack of practice by all members.
• In general -IT’S NOT FUN
The band admits that some of the song lists should be readjusted to play songs that people can dance to.
It decides that we need to fine-tune our sets, and have songs run into each other. This eliminates the need for “witty banter” in between songs. It also will keep people on the dance floor.
The band decides to set agendas for each practice. By having a set amount of items to practice we can focus on the tasks at hand. By eliminating the bitch session, we can focus on the music. The band also realizes that eventually there may not be a need to practice every week.
John has some ideas on how we can streamline the sound system to make it more portable, and sound better.
The band realizes we need to spend some time “surfing the scene” and see what people are dancing to -instead of what...

 January 11 1997: The Tangled Spur We Came, We Played, We Kicked Their Ass           The whole band is pumped to play a bar the size of the Graphic Enterprises service department (S-M-A-L-L!). Mother nature has blessed us with some snow and a wind chill of at least -20. Luckily we do not have to drag our speakers with us to the gig.
           While tearing down at Kevin’s, Maria starts explaining how “Everyone Should Get Drunk.” Dave gets a little nervous as the extra travel time involved means he will be getting home later and we will need all parties helping to unload the stuff. Dave realizes that there will probably always be a difference of opinion here. Maria sees this as a chance to party (which it is-which he appreciates her support). Dave will always see Maria as an “Ambassador” of Six Shooter. Any unprofessional behavior makes him nervous. Just as he wouldn’t walk into her job and jeopardize her work, I don’t think she understands how serious we take this. When Dave explains how he is worried about Maria messing with “our business” Maria jokingly lays into him. Dave decides to drop it, and wait and see what happens. Thinking back on some of the issues, there may be an element of a “Microscope” in watching Maria’s behavior.
           The band sets up using the small board from the bargain basement. It’s very cold. It doesn’t take too long. Dave uses a volume pedal to adjust his guitar for lead breaks. It sounds good. Thank goodness we have that equalizer. The stage is very small and confining compared to Cappy’s.
           The band has only added one new song (and it’s old) called Good Brown Gravy by Joe Diffey. This was learned for Cappy’s benefit. It’s pretty cold in the bar.
           Musically it’s a pretty good night. After noticeably speeding up the song Texas Tattoo the band gives Lee a quick sobriety test (who had a shot earlier to get warmed up). With the band focusing on our meter, we do a much better job the rest of the evening. As a unit, we were pretty solid. The band gets another request to learn “The Electric Slide.” Due to the cold, the crowd is a little thin. However, Jeff Fuchs and wife, Anthony Pansera and Heather Davis, Chucky, Mike Pisani, and Jeff Aul show up from GEI. They all seem to think we sound good.
           The in-between song banter is flowing tonight. We have made a conscious effort to go directly from one song to another. We previously felt compelled to fill all silence with talking. Tonight some silence is filled with Dave playing, and other items.
           The audience gets a kick as Kevin explains how Dave is wearing a new shirt designed by country stars Brooks and Dun. When Kevin invites Dave to do a quick catwalk, Dave takes him up on it. Dave struts out across the dance floor as Kevin sings “I’m too sexy for my shirt.” We’re having fun. The sound system is sounding good. For once we have more monitor sound than we have in the main speaker (this is a concern for the red dog in 2 weeks).
           Lee is fired up and is nicknamed “the Animal” as every song is finished with a thunderous drum roll.
           Upon tuning his guitar for the last set, Dave notices that the screw that his guitar strap is attached to is very loose. He wiggles it and it falls off in his hand. YIKES. This means that Dave’s guitar could fall off any time during the set. He decides to pull a chair on the stage and sit down for the last set. This is very foreign. While the stage was small, the option of having ZERO movement is not a pleasant thought. The audience seems understanding as they enjoy a “Tutor” (a drink) special. Kevin jokes that since the whole bar is getting “tutors” that this will be one of the smartest crowds we’ve ever played to. Dave attempts his “Rocky the squirrel” imitation as he chimes “Now here’s somethi