Friday night was amazing. I mean absolutely amazing. The Takoma Park shows we’ve done have been things I’ve worked really, really hard at. I think I’m working under the fear that this community doesn’t take me seriously and thinks of me as just that weird guy who ran that open mic and that guy who works at that store… and so I’ve put a LOT of effort into advertising shows down there and still remain unsure as to whether a) people are so hungry for Live music they’ll come out and see ANYTHING down there, b) we have a stronger community down there than I think we do or c) all my hard work is actually being REWARDED.
In any case – every show we’ve done down there has been as close to sold out as we’re like to get. I consider any show where there are more butts than seats (even if that simply means the venue just goes and grabs more seats) to be a win – and Friday night’s show at the Carroll Café at Seeker’s Church was definitely a win. There was some downside – not least of which was the stress of no-one but Heather’s parents being there at doors open – but quickly we had a line stretching out the door clamouring to get in.
Yes. A win.
Laura Grill was our co-bill. Apparently Carroll Café doesn’t usually do the co-bill thing – they can be convinced to have an opening act, but especially another act that isn’t local and probably doesn’t have any draw, they made it clear they were TRUSTING me and doing me a favour by trusting me. And then when I wanted them to be equal time / billing? Well – I know for a fact that we lost some people because of that – but I think it was well worth it. Laura came out and threw down and frankly I was intimidated to follow her.
The band was tight, beautiful, charming and as always excitingly musically bizarre. I just don’t “get” jazz, and as I’m sure some people don’t get “modern art” feel – it seems like I just don’t have the proper education / degree to ‘get it” and usually I’m not interested in making the effort – but even when the LGB pushes into crazy math territory wandering along some noodly path, rather than letting me get bored with the path, Laura gets me excited about the journey. The way they bring the music to the audience you’re EXCITED to see how the whole thing breaks apart and re-coalesces. You feel guided – and unlike a lot of jazz bands, the Laura Grill Band engenders trust right from the get-go – so you’re not worried about where it might lead you. Laura Grill and her merry band of musical miscreants are holding your hand. It had nothing to do with the bass player’s PhD – it has everything to do with his charm and absolute JOY.
Ze Laura Grill Band. Yum. Delicious cake to be had at the intermission of the Laura Grill / ilyAIMY show at Carroll Cafe in Takoma Park, MD.
Yeah. Laura Grill Band brings me JOY. Then we took the stage and fired our salvos across the bridge of the audience and the night was simply on FIRE. It ran long and no-one cared and we both got to execute encores and characteristically of us, LGB executed hers with panache and polish and we executed ours with wild abandon. It was a strangely good combination.
And that was just Friday. Saturday we got up, got out, groaned and moaned and bitched and set up in a little park in Bowie, MD. It was a BEAUTIFUL day – low 80s and no humidity and even the port-a-potty smelled nice. Heather and I sort of struggled with the audience – they were kind of low-key and non-responsive AND spread out over the entire park. The tumultuous applause of last night was nowhere to be found, polite smatterings were what we received – but we had to remind ourselves that these were people who’d come out to see us and were under no obligation to stay. It’s not like they had checks to clear or anything – and the breaks we took saw more people filtering into the park – I think it had more to do with the lack of critical mass than a lack of enthusiasm. I don’t know. We played hard and had a good time and played with the dogs, sold CDs and were surprised by substantial tipping… and then it was time to break down and race to the NEXT gig….
The Bachelor and the Bad Actress performing at the Crazy Quilt Festival at the New Deal Cafe in Greenbelt, MD. After our show in Old Bowie we hopped into the car and raced over to Old Greenbelt. We rolled in as our friend Joe’s band was playing and then settled in for a delicious late lunch and some hula hoopin! One of my new favourite bands : The Galt Line performing at the Crazy Quilt Festival in Greenbelt, MD. Her vocals were ferocious and bluesy and his playing was magnificent and expressive. Together they were a force that needs to play with ilyAIMY. Aforementioned hula hooping. Shannon Bishop reminds me that I can do it and sure enough I get it up and keep it up! Even at my age! Hoopdeehoopdee hoop. an admirable Johnny Cash tribute band called Cold Hard Cash. The main in black smiled A LOT and had a killer guitarist with him at the New Deal Cafe’s Crazy Quilt Festival in Greenbelt, MD. Hee! My kindergarten crush and I are still friends and Alison popped out to the New Deal Cafe’s Crazy Quilt Festival and hung out for a while. She’s a professional fashion blogger. Because that’s a thing. She probably looks at me and just shakes… her … head.
… by 4.40pm we were rolling into Roosevelt Center in Greenbelt, MD to play Crazy Quilt. Here at least it was just plug and play, we didn’t have to drag our own gear in, just ourselves and our instruments. Unfortunately my fingers and neck and shoulders were FEELING it from the intensity of Friday night and from the intensity of the FIRST outdoor gig… still, we settled in and met up with lots of friends there in front of the New Deal Café, had a delicious NDC lunch and got on the stage and gave it everything we had. I must admit the act before us were a delicious combination for us. The Galt Line is one of my new favourite local acts and chatting with them afterwards just concreted that. They were the perfect balance of kind of intimidating and really inspiring – and I’m hoping that we get to play with them in the future as I really, really Loved them.
Man – now that I think about it, betwixt Laura and Heather and Blyrthe of the Galt Line, by weekend was really defined by brunettes with incredible voices.
So we owned Roosevelt Center for our requisite 45 minutes and then cleared the stage for the Johnny Cash tribute band following us. I hula hooped, Heather hula hooped and we all hula hooped together. I flirted a bit with my crush from kindergarten and we generally Loved the day. We eventually retreated back to Baltimore, played with the cats and relaxed on the couch with Star Trek washing us its utopian visions.
And so its Sunday. And it’s either the end of a 6-gig two studio-session week or it’s the BEGINNING of a 6-gig two studio session-week. June is proving to be hectic indeed. Foof.
— by the way – happy father’s day. My dad would’ve liked Kristen Jones.
