Crosstown Traffic: Billy Batts Ensemble Is Always Worth the Trip

A Platinum Performance at Berkeley Hall Golf Club: A Beautiful View in Bluffton & How About That Ice Bucket?

This was a road trip that I did my best to prepare for.  Given all that I was going through in retrospect, I did fairly well.  Looking back weeks later, I would say we were lucky.  We being our saxophonist Anton and our keyboardist for the night, the multi-talented Allen Cook.  They rode with me in the Odyssey.  It has it's inherent noises and issues but we made it there and back just fine.  Allen commented on a pull to the left, which I had noted as well.  It turns out that I had a hole in the front left tire (for quite some time, actually).  I think it took a very cold morning and a long drive to Norcross to bring it to my attention with a swift reduction of tire pressure.  At least I was not travelling per se with others in a time-sensitive situation.

We got to the venue a bit early, but better early than late.  I set my gear up and waited for soundcheck.  No worries.  Glad we could have as few minutes to chill.  Early is so much better.  We were outdoors in an open-air tent that was very nice but chilly in the evening.  The view of the golf course and lake behind us was spectacular.

Ice in the urinals... a new way to stay fresh

Third Party at Pastis in Roswell

It's always a thrill to be a part of this fun quartet on a Friday night.  The place fills up with folks young and old looking for a good time.  Glen Perdew leads us through a non-stop jam of funk, rock, and R&B.  This time out he stumped me when someone asked for Skin Tight by the Ohio Players.  I've since worked on it, but it doesn't want to stay in my head.  I do remember us getting through the Eagles tune I Can't Tell You Why.  Another that I have since come to be ready for is Barry White's It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me.  Tunes like that serve to remind me of the classic role that bass holds in pop music.  I hear other players interjecting way too much in my opinion.  I have been told that other musicians just want to hear the root from the bass.  If it's a motif that just repeats over and over, well, that's what we do.  That's what all of the band is doing, and Jaco wasn't on the session.  Laying it down is what makes the song chug along.  Adding fills that most players want to stick in doesn't improve the tune.  It can rob the essence of the groove and draw unnecessary attention to the bass, which detracts from the vocals and other rhythm instruments.  Something to think about.

Glen, Randy, and Derek just glide through the tunes effortlessly.  They are seasoned pros and I struggle to keep up.  That said, I managed to hang and not embarrass myself with my R&B shortcomings.  Certain  tunes I have spent some time with, others I get lucky on.  Glen calls them as he sees them.  Funny that if I work on a song, it will not get called.  Murphy is a strange animal.

Derek had a cool new look.  He likes to keep it interesting.  I could learn from him.

Just a dancer in close proximity

A Chilly Southern Club: Last Call Presents a Tale of Sadness, Bitter Winds, and Triumphant Noises

UGA's loss to Florida set the tone for the evening.  Nothing like assembling at Fado in Buckhead to feel the wrath amongst a legion of faithful Gators fans to swell the pit in your gut.  The men of Last Call hung their heads and knew they were in for a solemn evening.  Still, the burgers were quite tasty and we summoned the strength to unload and install our travelling show.  With the latest additions to the gear arsenal, we are able to fine tune this rock show.  Essential gear in this case has to include the bodacious audio snake.  It really makes the various connections easier.  I am proud to assume the role of snake installer.

Before we jump in, I wanted to share a pic that Karl took in Singapore.  It is of a hotel (in the distance) that features a "ship" atop three towers that comprise the high-occupancy establishment.

I have since learned that it is the Marina Bay Sands, at least that is what "we" call it.  It is reported to be the most expensive hotel constructed in the world.  Yep.  I obviously don't get around much, but when a fellow band buddy deems it worthy of a shared pic, I'll try to broaden my short-sighted horizon.  I found Karl's pic to be most excellent, and he even proclaimed that the Last Call fan favorite of "Heroes" by David Bowie was heard in the hotel sound system.  Nice.  For perspective, here are a few more shots from the web and a link if you want to make reservations.

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

As for the show, we plowed through so many tunes my head hurts thinking about it.  I'm missing a few of the big ones that have been ignored after we learned new ones.  Need to work up some more slide via the carabiner and the NS/Stick.  I lost my old carabiner and never replaced it.  The large ones cost 8 or 9 bucks at the HD and I balked when I saw that.  Perhaps I will pick one up when I go there to fetch a tape gun in the next day or so.  I really love the sound I was getting on the slide and it is a flavor that Last Call could use from time to time.  It is worth noting that this was our first-ever Saturday performance.  I was thankful that it wasn't outside as we had initially plotted.

Perhaps the real story here was that we were the core quartet, without Farrel.  She was with her family in New York taking care of important business.  We wished them well and reconfigured, ignoring her girl-power tunes and the upper-range power pop that she has made her own.  Needless to say, we concentrated on our strengths of The Who, Beatles, Stones, and more classic rock than you can shake a Chapman Stick at.  If I'm not mistaken, at this late point on Thanksgiving weekend, I even sang Freebird at the end of the night, with Davey playing the piano in a fitting tribute to Southern rock at the Southern Club.  I know there were some surprises, and still many that we didn't get around to.  Those who stuck it out were rewarded with another of our nearly 4-hour patented non-stop shows.  Of course, without Chuck's keen eye and lens, what you see is what you get.  We are spoiled by his camera work and his charming demeanor.  Fortunately for us, we had the wonderful Ruth, Julie, and Rebecca, among many others, cheering us on.  Their smiles helped us on this cold, dark night.

"A smile is the prettiest thing you can wear." 

A true fan and friend, staying with us until the bitter end.
Freebird was for you, sir.

The Atlanta Opera Ball: The Debut of the Singing Drummer

It's a surreal feeling on the 4th floor of the Ritz

It has been a while since I played at the Ritz Carlton in Buckhead.  I made my way through some heavy traffic to arrive in time for the necessary unloading, carting, tweaking, and representing.  The loading dock is where I always go at this particular venue, and this dock is only available from the one-way partitioned Lenox Road, or is the Buckhead Loop?  I can typically stay there near the dock, although I've been asked to move to one of the few "lower" spaces just down the hill from the dock.  At least they are cool to contractors on Saturday nights.  They don't have to be.

The big news on this gig was Gus wielding a vocal mic.  He has been working on some background vocals.  There must be something in the air because I see it happening in other bands.  I see it as a positive.  Strong vocals are typically a band's weak point.  Better to err on the side of excess harmonies, rather than too few.  Not certain that I could hear him, but then I'm the only band member who doesn't get a monitor.  What's up with that?

The gig was for the Atlanta Opera.  We have played for their constituents before.  It is typically a long wait until they are finished with the silent auctions and related business.  This time it seemed as though the wait wasn't quite as long.  We gave a good if not predictable show.  It felt different as we were at the Ritz.  We dined in the lounge upstairs from the main bar where Theresa Hightower often performs.  It was a fixed menu of chicken sandwiches, fries, and salad too.  Nice to dine at the Ritz, even if it was casual.  So now you know the rest of the story...

I Will Survive

The real rest of the story - hanging with Capt. Piggy after the gig and watching the DVR'd SNL.