Publix Georgia Marathon 2014: Windy and Wet at Sweetwater Junction's Olympic Park Party

We made the best of it.  Nothing like loading into an open air stage at 5:30 am on a Sunday morning.  Okay, I had all of the best intentions, but honestly was there at 5:50, maybe a few minutes prior.  Brought both cabinets and the trusty Ibenez.  I think back on all of the basses I've owned and played, and honestly the Ibenez has been my go-to bass for most everything.  I guess I have come to enjoy the 6-string for its extended range that isn't excessively extended (no guitar strings, for instance...).  I bring it because it is my de-facto outdoor bass.  Got to have one that you can bring along and not mind too much if it gets wet or sun scorched.  Or falls over.

Well, we didn't get wet but it did rain and was quite breezy.  As the morning wore on, the temperature dropped.  With hundreds if not thousands of runners out there in the elements, who were we to complain?  It was warm earlier in the week, but then another cold front blew on in.  Happened a lot this winter and spring, in fact it's still happening as I type this in early May.  We played a lot of music, from 8 until 1:30 or so.  Couldn't sound check until when, 8 or so.  Had a nice hot breakfast at the nearby Waffle House with Brian and Chris.  A highlight thanks to those guys.  Also a big highlight playing with them, not to mention Mark and Dan.  We knocked 'em out with many of our favorites and some rare ramblings.  I think for the money, we do reggae about as well as any other "rock" band.  We need more reggae in the repertoire!  Marley fans are among us - they will respond!  Ah, tired and just want to get these pics up and out there.  It was a crazy long morning that made us question our professional choices at times.  Nice to bring a smile to these people of our fine metropolitan city in an unusual way on an uncommonly cold spring day.

Centennial Olympic Park at 6:00 am, Sunday March 23, 2014

Mark's sweet new mixer

A Thursday Evening with Platinum at Ventanas

This place is always memorable to perform at.  The food is always excellent and the view is breathtaking.  We had perhaps 15 minutes to get our food and eat, which was not enough time if you know how I like to eat.  It was amazing but it wasn't meant to be.  By a minor mishap with the address being listed incorrectly, we performed the first set without one of our members.  Looking back on it, of all of the people to be missing, well, we were able to make just fine.  Funny how that works out.  Steve Wright was with us once again on guitar.  We played a very energetic first set, actually, that seemed a tad too propulsive for these folks who hadn't yet loosened up.  That's what the director asked for, but it's a tough call.  They obviously wanted us to get the party started.  So we did.

The second set found everybody's groove and there was no holding back.  They wanted some Miami Sound Machine, so we (re)worked up Conga and Rhythm Is Gonna Get You, plus Gloria Estefan's version of Turn The Beat Around.  Between Gus' programmed pads and Glen's keyboard chops along with Anton's sax work, we were in there.  Virginia and Dianna nailed the tricky vocals like it was 1987 all over again.

Lots of pics here, not great ones, but the best moments are just one click away from what I seem to be able to grab without dropping out on the bass.  Can't have that!  Did you know that ventanas is Spanish for "windows"?  Now you do.

Audience member selfie with photobomb from Gus

St. Patrick's Night at The CooCoo's Nest

Not often I'm gigging on a Monday night.  Running With Desire honored the St. Patrick's tradition in Cumming (he he) at this popular Forsyth County nightspot.  The CooCoo's Nest is a fine music venue with perhaps the worst thought-out load-in situation ever conceived.  There is no easy way to get your gear in here.  Just bring a hand truck and park your car in the turn lane with the flashers blinking, roll down the sidewalk, through the gate, through the 2 patio areas, through the glass double doors where the drums are already set on the stage...  Still, it's a cool vibe inside with a staff that is genuinely friendly and a generous tab for the band.  Sam and I opted for chicken tenders and a beer, Terrapin Rye for me.  They were out of Guinness!

We played both U2 and Van Halen for the families who were probably there for the dinner and not the entertainment.  Still, it was a good crowd that stayed throughout the night and made us feel welcome.  Sat with JT for an after-show rap and a Guinness (they restocked while we were playing! - St. Paddy's without a Guinness?  Perish the thought!), and the bar comped us.  Very nice place indeed!  This place is worth the drive, trust me.  Hope to be back some time.

The Ides of March: A Double Dip for St. Paddy's & The Yaarab Shriners

The Shamrock Music Festival was held at the Masquerade Music Park on North Avenue.  The weather was good, warmer than we had expected.  Running With Desire opened up the day's lineup, which included other tribute acts Departure, The GA Blues Brothers, and The Jagged Stones.  We had 2 great sets, playing our U2 hits and then a whole lot of Van Halen from the Roth era.  James Terry, Marty Berning, Sam Owens, and myself.  The small but mighty crowd who was there really enjoyed it.  The venue needs a little bit more to make it a fun place to hang.  At least we had a trailer to change in, along with some refreshments.

I hung out and watched Departure until it was time to move down the road to the Yaarab Temple, where I played that evening with Platinum.  We were performing for a Chastain Night, with members bringing picnic baskets and libations, an evening under the stars indoors.  It was a great concept and these people went to great lengths to have a relaxing party.  We played a lot of older music, but they enjoyed just about everything we did.  When you play for clients like these, you can't argue with drinking women dancing on the stage.  Let them shake their groove thing and get out of the way!

The room is long and I set up both of my cabinets, as the subs Jason had wouldn't be able to handle the bass all that well.  I have been in this room many times, for work and performing as well.  Who was I with in the past?  I want to say it was Sweetwater Junction, but I'm not certain.  Somebody help me remember!

Steve was with us once again on guitar.  He sounded good and we reprised our rendition of Say by John Mayer with tandem interlocking guitars.  We all hung out after the gig and enjoyed a cold libation from our host.  The Shriners are great people who know how to take care of business and have fun.

Billy Batts Ensemble Takes On Another Friday With Bossa, Blues, 'n Beatles

We get together and the elliptical nature of time makes it feel as though we just saw each other.  For this evening, Walt suggested a tune for us to audition, an odd one at that: Caramel by Suzanne Vega.  It's a bossa nova sounding number with some cool heavy (for a bossa) rhythm section work courtesy of Bruce and Pete Thomas (no relation to each other, did you know that?), the old bass & drums team from Elvis Costello & The Attractions.  So I got the song, learned the song, made changes to the chart Walt had sent, and really enjoyed it.  We did a decent job on it, although I don't think it is in the best key for Walt to sing it.  Here's my slightly modified chart - it's close to the arrangement of the original:

The form isn't quite right, and the V7 chords are iffy (sometimes it does the bII7 and sometimes it does the V7).  You gotta love the i to the bV7 to the ii - V - what is that bV7 anyway?  It sure grabs your ear.  I want to steal that idea someday.  The bass in this song is just perfect and really carries the tune.  It could be even more bossa with an upright bass and a tenor sax stating the melody.  Cool tune and it made me search out some more of her stuff.  She's had a long career.

The rest of the night wasn't too different than a normal session for us.  Pride and Joy always seems to work, even in this country club environment.  We did play Norwegian Wood and Come Together.  After hearing Walrus Confusion, I'd like to see us try a mash-up like that to stretch our Beatle wings - Beatle Wings!  How about Plastic Ono Wings?  Here's a fun link to check out if you haven't come across this yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SE49bsxGTFM

They were writing a song together and didn't even know it!

And here's how we looked on this evening, the 14th of March, 2014...