S3E4 - We Came, We Played, We Kicked Ass

 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 something you’ll really like” only to realize that the smoke and cold are getting to his voice. To finish the set Dave and Kevin switch guitars so Dave can go mobile for “Fast as you.” Mary (the owner’s wife/bartender) seems a little surprised as Dave came strolling through the back of the bar. Kevin teases Dave to get up on a table, and Dave jumps up on two chairs and plays under the glow of a neon sign.

           The gig was a pleasant surprise. While we were not going to get filthy rich here, it wasn’t a bad gig. We got paid $62.50 a piece ($250.)

           I think it’s safe to say we accomplished our mission: TO KICK THEIR ASS. The door lady stops Dave and says, “If Glen (the owner) does not book you back, I WILL PERSONALLY BOOK YOU HERE IN MARCH FOR MY BIRTHDAY-I WANT YOU GUYS! She explains how she thinks we’re really good. Mary is slightly bummed when she hears we are playing other bars (I think they were looking for a new house band). We do get a set date for March 15. John talks with Glen and as John put it “We can basically write our own ticket.” Dave talks with some guy who is heavily involved with Rodeos at the Canton Civic Center. The guys also liked us and wants us to play at a Rodeo in the future. While it was a small crowd, it sounds like we got some good exposure.

           The band finishes unloading at Kevin’s at 3:15. Maria has gone straight to bed (she pretty much behaved). Dave thinks that there may be something to this Microscope issue. He was just glad that Kevin was able to help with the unloading as the wind chill at three in the morning was almost unbearable.

Now it’s time to start focusing on merging Seth into the plan. Kevin did announce that he is more than likely NOT going to move to Montana. It seems it has dawned on Kevin that Montana is well .... FAR AWAY!

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