The Night I Heard That Whitney Left Us, I Was With Platinum at Atlanta Athletic Club

This was a discounted job for a worthy cause.  Sometimes, we wait to play.  This night, we waited... and waited some more.  Sound check was at 5, or so.  Dinner was at 6, or so.  The downbeat was at 9:30, or so.  It actually hit at around 10:15, or so.  Really.  We were contracted to play till 11:30.  Does the client expect us to go later?  I think there are expectations from all around.  The venue is promised a certain to wrap it up.  We can't necessarily go until we fancy that the crowd has had enough.  They want to close up so that the payroll doesn't go into overtime.  The money makes it all complicated, so I'm told.

The waiting around was a drag.  There was a brief power surge/power failure that apparently killed the internet connection/wi-fi router signal, thus ending any chance of comfortably killing 2 or 3 hours with semi-modern cell phone technology.  Kevin's iPad was playing comedy via Nexflix when the occurrence occurred.  ugh.  I eventually came to the realization that I couldn't sit there any longer.  I went to my car to listen to Turn the Beat Around by Gloria Estefan with chart book in hand.  The sound check run through was weak, so I figured I was doing something wrong.  It turns out I was.  Then I got the notion to get moving.  The temps were down around 20 degrees, lower with the wind blowing around.  I ventured over to Target and picked up the latest Stephen King paperback Full Dark, No Stars.  I read 'em all, for the most part.  I got cash at the Publix ATM (no sur-charge) and then wandered in to get some gum - my favorite flavor & brand on sale!  It was meant to be.  I arrived and relished in my purpose.  On the way back, I opened up Facebook and the top story going around was from 11Alive: Whitney House Dead at 48.  That sure changed my night a bit.  I got back and relayed the new to Gus - how the word travels fast.  They knew about it in the green room, even with out wi-fi.  Big concept to wrap your senses around.  Poor girl.  She couldn't ever get back on track.

We played well for the 75 minutes we were up there.  Soundcheck went really well.  Played through some tunes we don't even do: Sledgehammer & Wrapped Around Your Finger - like it was 1986 (ok, and '83) all over again.  The bass line in Wrapped is really nice.  Sting is quite good at being Sting.  His bass is understated in a grand fashion.  I believe it's fretless on that studio track, like King of Pain and many other Police tunes.  The feel gets so much momentum out of the "drop 1" concept, a reggae way of driving the beat without getting in the way.  Gotta respect the flavor.  Ironically, I had my fretless Tobias, which I played on the first few tunes in soundcheck.  I switched to my Stingray for the next tune, which ended up being the Police one - suggested out of the extreme blue, I must say - and enjoyed the upper articulation I had with said axe.  A little flanger and employing the lower octave gave it a slightly Hugh Padgham-esque production aspect.  I hope we can try that one again - thanks as always on things like that to Glen Perdew (Glen, you're so good and connected - you should have a site of your own).  The man is The Human Jukebox and has the best ears I've been around in a long time, perhaps next to my young mentor of da blues 'n jazz Randy Chapman, another man with big ol' ears.

My rig was too loud!  This stage is set into the wall, so to speak.  I was too loud - did I say that already?  I was already lower in level than a typical Platinum gig.  I turned down on the pedalboard, then down again on the amp.  I had mucho articulation - ie the tweeter/horn pad control was not padding as much as it should have been.  Tweeters are fine on bass cabinets, but a little goes a long way.  Any more than 11 o'clock (ie 3 out of 10) and it starts getting too noisy, especially if there's any dirt in the signal.  Mine was probably at 12 o'clock, or halfway up.  Oh well.  It makes me play more carefully, I guess.  Every room is different.  Turn it down, you say - easy enough.  Not for me.  My cabinet is tilted back against the wall with my Eden head next to it on its side.  That coupled with my coordination and I'm just gonna have to let it ride.  The crowd loved us, what little chose to stick around after all the prizes had been claimed.  We played some nice ones for the older Republican crowd: All Night Long (our opening song, which had been changed from the ultra-conservative The Way You Look Tonight, but without my knowledge - I was really for I vi ii V swing in Eb on my fretless until Glen started the keyboard motif signaling Lionel Richie at his peak);  December 1963 (Oh, What a Night);  Love Train;  You Can't Hurry Love;  Shout!;  Respect;  Soul Man --> Hold On, I'm Coming;  Jackson 5ive Medley: The Love You Save --> I Want You Back;  The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face;  Turn the Beat Around;  Last Dance.  Anton showed up from his gig next door at St. Ives Country Club - what a guy!  Very cool to make it and play with us - don't try this at home, kids!  He is really a great fit.  I had fun and played well after all of the waiting around.  You just never know.

Mocha Delite & White Chocolate