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2016… HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Hard to believe it’s already been a year that I’ve been drumming full time with Funk Evolution… I still can’t believe it!! And I still find myself grinning on the way to the gigs just thinking about what’s to come… Thank you FE!! Now on with the new year…
Beginning with… a new keyboardist in FE… Please welcome young Nick Marotta to the group!! And we’re still on a quest for another solid trumpet or maybe a trombonist… and time to see how my back’s going to hold up and heal (they’re still not sure but think it was a nasty muscle tear… traverse muscle??)…
Our next open weekends are in April and June right now but I don’t expect that to last long although our leader Rocco is trying to balance things a little more this year and cutting back to around 85 shows to try to minimize burnout…
He’s also put together EVO2 – a 5 piece sibling group playing some different material… I already have enough going on between FE and school and family so I wasn’t really interested in a spin-off…
January 2 – Our first club date of 2016 as FE heads back to Centre Street Pub in Schenectady, I make my vocal debut with the band and get to break out a new T from my brother and sister-in-law… ‘The Beat of Evolution’… excellent choice!!
January 9 – FE heads back to JJ Rafferty’s in Latham and I get to break out another new shirt… ‘Weapons of Mass PERCUSSION’!! Thanks again Larry and Terri!!
January 16 – Our first trip to Hunter Mountain of 2016 and it was INSANE!!
But the big news was the change in band culture… At the end of the night EVERYONE pitched in and helped pack and because of that the sound and lights were packed and being loaded in the trailer in 20 minutes!!! That’s a big change from the usual hour or more it normally takes… thank you everyone!! It also made it easier for me to break down since the stage was clear and I had plenty of room to pack…
January 22 – This is one for the books…
We got a call for a gig back in December at the Albany Airport… super secret… no details other than we’d start playing at 11:00AM!! Then they had to reschedule… All they would say is that we’d be in a hanger at the airport!! Interesting…
Today we would find out what it was all about… CummuteAir – a commuter jet company out of Cleveland – is bringing their operation to Albany where they will service a fleet of some 40 jets and add 100+ new jobs!! This was the press conference to announce the deal… lots of politicians and airport employees from the ground up and a catered bar-B-Q lunch… quite the celebration!!
It isn’t often that we get to play with this type of background… that’s the stage by the front of the plane!!
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Color coordinated tie of course (I carry around 10 to try to blend in)…
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Rocco soloing – almost from the cockpit – as Justin looks on…
Congressman Paul Tonko sitting in after making the announcement… how often does THAT happen?!?
January 23 – How do you follow something like that?? How about one crazy party at Nanola in Malta!! AND I was able to setup without doing something to my body that makes me go into shock… refreshing!! Actually, that knot is starting to feel much better and I’m even getting a little sleep at night… Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh…
Basic black for tonight…
January 30 – What a crazy night at Stout!! Wall-to-wall people screaming and dancing and smiling (and drinking) and the band – to a member – was at the top of their game!! For me personally my night was made by two young guys who, after the second set (as I was prepping for the next set), were shouting, “Hey – Peart!! PEART!!!” When I realized they were talking to ME I looked around for Neil asking them “Where?? Where??” They pointed at me and I had to smile and tell them “I wish…” Thanks!! You guys made my night!!
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February 6 – Another visit to Centre Street Pub… I knew we were in for a good night 3 and a half hours before we started… I had just started moving in when I overheard people talking about the ‘kick-ass band’ appearing tonight!! If that doesn’t get you fired up I don’t know what will…
February 13 – FE makes its regular appearance at Nanola but this time, on the eve of Valentine’s Day, we decided to dress things up a bit as you can see in the picture at right… Please excuse the glasses… I was testing out a wireless head-mounted vocal mic and was still reading the manual… On that topic…
I find myself singing more and more with the group (and loving it of course) but the over-the-top boom and gooseneck I’ve used forever to position my mic so it’s out of the way of my playing isn’t working out as well as in the past… a combination of playing harder, being more animated and needing to push harder when I sing have me struggling to find a good spot for it… Also, again possibly a product of more aggressive playing, it seems to be picking up a lot more ambient drum and cymbal sounds making it difficult to mix my voice into everyone’s monitors… they want to hear me but don’t need to the drums… We toyed with a gate but each time my voice triggers it to open there’s a noticeable wash of drums into the overall mix that comes and goes as I sing and stop… I thought a head mount mic might help so I ordered an AKG Sport mic and we’ll see how that works out…
February 20 – another trip to JJ Rafferty’s where I picked up stiff back and another nasty head cold by then end of the night from the cold air return right behind my setup that blows frosty air on me most of the night… I block it as best I can but… 🙁
An odd story regarding my KAT brand KTMP 1 electronic drum pad… I’d purchased thing almost two years ago for $120 (new) to augment my acoustic kit with various effects (claps, snaps, tambourine, etc.)… Last summer I noticed that I could hear something rattling around inside so I took it apart and discovered that the rubber pads that I hit had small knobs underneath that push through part of the internal plastic shell and allowed the pads to rebound without coming off. Some of these rubber knobs had broken off… I glued them back on which held for a couple months…
This week the rattling got to me so I took it apart again and found more rubber feet and the top off a capacitor… I did some more repair work and reassigned the pads to ‘rotate’ my most used sound to fresher pads but decided to call the company to see about replacement pads. DW has taken over KAT and the support person was very nice and said that I should send him the receipt and he’d see if he could help me out… When I found the receipt I noticed that I had purchased (and forgot) a two year replacement plan so I was still covered!! I called those people who looked it up and told me they’d send me a check for $128… the drum was ‘too bulky’ to send back and I should ‘dispose of it however I saw fit’… HUH?!? No parts?? No replacement?? Just here’s your money back and then some – have a nice day. I’m happy I got the unit essentially for free as it turns out but a little disappointed that it didn’t hold up better or that I apparently can’t get parts for it… time to go shopping!! 🙂
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February 27 – FE was honored to be chosen to entertain at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center 50th Anniversary Season Kickoff ‘Black & Gold Masquerade’ Fundraiser!! What an amazing and elegant evening that turned into an over-the-top wild and crazy party at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs, NY. According to the names on the place settings it was a ‘who’s who’ sort of an evening but because of the masks you never really knew who WAS who…
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Here are some more pictures…
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March 5 – a return to the madness that is Hunter Mountain – this time for the annual Grand Marnier Winter Bash!! We always have a great time there but the load-in is one for the books… we can drive 10 feet from the door where we go in… it’s another 10 feet to the elevator to get us on the right floor… but from there it’s about a city block or more walk to get from the elevator to the stage!! On the way you have to maneuver through hundreds of skiers who will look you right in the eye when you say ‘excuse me’ or the security people tell them to ‘watch your back’ and continue to stand right in the way – usually on their cell phones… And to make matters worse, on this night, there were no carts!! I had to walk everything through in several trips!! It usually takes me 10 minutes to get everything from the van to the stage but tonight it was closer to an hour… I was spent before I ever played a note…
On the plus side it turned out to be one of the best parties we’ve had there!! The large crowd was extremely enthusiastic and very appreciative of everything we played and stayed right until the end!!
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March 11 – FE debuted at the The Bayou Café in Glenville, NY. You never know what to expect your first time in a venue but it turned out to be a great evening with a lot of new faces and some familiar ones making the trip as well. I couldn’t resist this selfie for a friend who’s a fan of monkeys…
However, by the end of the night, the owner and the staff were cranking some extremely tasteless rap music and behaving very strangely… I’d heard some things going in but to see it in person was bizarre… I was happy to get out of there and have a feeling we won’t be booking anything else here…
March 12 – the annual Stout St. Patrick’s Day Post Parade party in the giant party tent!! 5:00 start but the place was hopping when I arrived around 1:30.
As we got closer to showtime the bar was full inside, the deck was full outside, the tent and surrounding parking lot were filling up fast and the line for the tent stretched down the block!! PARTY TIME!!
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At peak we were told there were around 1500 people there!! And a good time was had by all… 🙂
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It was probably 20-30 degrees warmer than last year which was a welcome change… Not warm by any stretch – especially by the time we packed and loaded out – but still better than the 30 degrees and freezing rain from last year…
March 19 – another visit to JJ Rafferty’s in Latham, NY!! It’s a terrific venue and the people that come out are always fantastic but the bottom of the wall behind about half of where the band sets up is a giant grate for heating and cold air return or something… all I know is no matter how I attempt to block it off around me I’m blasted with cold air throughout the evening and always come away with a head cold… this visit was no exception despite the warmer than normal temperatures outside…
A couple weeks ago I made the decision to make a quantum leap in electronics when I replaced my Kat KTMP1 with Roland a SPD-SX… The story goes like this…
Back in 2014, a little while after I started filling in with Funk Evolution (2013) I noticed that there were a number of tunes that could use some percussive embellishment… Not a lot – primarily hand claps with a snap or tambourine here or there… I searched for an inexpensive solution as I wasn’t sure how it would be received by the group – knowing I could pass it on to another drummer who would use it f I didn’t – eventually settling on a Kat KTMP1. Turned out the band loved it and I found myself using it more and more which lead me to dig out my DW trigger pedal from back when I had a short-lived experiment with going all electric back in the 80’s which allowed me to have claps under my left foot as well as one of the pads.
The biggest drawback of this pad early on was that it had no storage – there was only one ‘kit’ so I had 4 pads and the pedal so I could have 5 sounds available but if I wanted to change anything that meant reprogramming which is tough to do on the fly and under the time constraints of live performance. I settled on a group of sounds and that has worked well.
Fast forward to the summer of 2015… I noticed when I moved the unit to setup or breakdown that something was rattling inside… I took it apart and discovered that that rubber pads were held in place by small ‘knobs’ on the underside that poked through holes inside the housing. Some of the knobs had snapped off which explained why some of the pads had started to (annoyingly) flop when struck. I Crazy Glued it as best I could and it held for a month or two then the flopping began again but I got through the winter with it.
I took it apart again back in February and found more knobs and the top off a capacitor!! I was able to replace it but I now had a pad that wasn’t working and others that flopped… Time to call the company and see if I couldn’t buy replacement pads since I knew the 1 year warranty had expired. Kat has been gobbled up by DW and they were great… Told me to dig out my receipt and they’d see what they could do… When I found my receipt from Musician’s Friend I noticed that I had purchased a 2 year replacement plan!! For a moment I thought I was pretty smart then I realized if I was so smart I would have remembered that I had purchased it… I called MF and they gave me the direct number for the extended warranty people who looked me up in no time and told me they’d mail out a check… WHAT?!? What about replacement parts or repairs?? Nope… They told me that ‘it’s under $200, too bulky to ship back’ so they cut me a check for slightly more than I paid for it and told me I could dispose of the KTMP1 however I wanted… Now what do I do??
As I mentioned earlier Rocco’s put together an FE ‘knock-off’ called Evo2… BOTH groups are heading into the studio to cut new promo demos the end of April so I thought the time was right to offer to move aside… I’ve yet to meet the EVO2 drummer but hear he’s a great player and a fantastic singer which I definitely am not… I’ve jumped in to try to cover the background vocals as best I can but that’s about where it ends (especially without any vocal rehearsals… and it’s tough to pick out what everyone’s doing live)… Anyway, I told Rocco when I joined that I knew there’d be a time when someone better would come along and all he needed do is let me know and I’d voluntarily step down and do all I could to help expedite the transition. I’ve always thought that FE’s glaring weakness was its harmonies so when I heard about the EVO2 guy (who could also belt out some leads) I emailed the boss that if the other guy was interested in picking up the gigs I would relinquish my throne. I thought this would be a good time to make that decision before the April studio date so the resulting demo would be an accurate representation. I’ve enjoyed my time in FE and if that run has come to an end then so be it.
The days seemed like months without a reply then I received a very nice email from him about my loyalty, dedication and preparation and how I was ‘the guy’!! OK – drum pad decision made (see – it all tied together)…
I debated and researched and weighed the various costs of different electronic pads… Do I get another KTMP1 essentially for free or put that money towards something a little better?? Decisions, decisions… After much deliberation I bit the bullet, warmed up my Musician’s Friend Platinum card and ordered a Roland SPD-SX Sampling Pad and a military grade SBK case to carry it in (and an extended warranty of course – lesson learned) to the tune of just over $1100. I’ve been reading and working on it since it came in a couple days ago and it is absolutely AMAZING!!!! I cannot wait to debut it tonight at Nanola!!
March 26 – another trip to Nanola in Malta but with a couple twists…
I arrived 4 hours early (an hour earlier than I normally arrive to gigs) to make the necessary adjustments to my custom Stealth rack to accommodate my new Roland SPD-SX… I had been able to spend a couple days getting familiar with it – created some new kits and even loaded some custom samples!! This is truly an amazing piece of gear and well worth the $800 price tag!!
While I was setting up I made a new friend – a fellow musician named Gino… we’ve exchanged Facebook posts but had never met until now… he and his girlfriend were going to have dinner and were excited to finally hear the band. We talked for a while and he went off to eat…
We had a rookie on the board so it didn’t get the new SPD-SX dialed in as much as I had hoped but a few FE members recognized that I was generating some new sounds and all in all I would say it sounded pretty good but I can’t wait to have a chance to really get this thing mixed in like it should… This will be crucial because there are a couple songs where I will be playing everything on the pads – no acoustic drums at all… should be fun!!
But the biggest twist of all was the sight of my wife and daughter dancing right in front of us during the first set!! I knew my wife had hoped to come out this night – making it her first night out since completing 18 weeks of chemo (I had treated them both to dinner here when we played the weekend before her treatment started)… I knew she had invited some family to join her but I hadn’t heard anymore about it and knew she was still fighting some lingering chest pains and lung issues (which they believe are Asthma and allergy related) so I really hadn’t anticipated they’d be out but there they were… having a blast!!
When FE took a break I made my way back to where they were sitting only to find several members of her family as well as some of my fellow Avant Garde Drumline members and (to my shock) my 84 year old Mom and her neighbor Colleen who has also become a big FE fan… My wife had assembled them all for her celebration and my birthday!! What a welcome and tremendous surprise!!
Then who should come by but Gino (I wasn’t sure he had even stuck around)… he made his way over, shook my hand and exclaimed, “Holy crap!! You guys are amazing!!” Later I found his Facebook along the same lines… “HOLY F#$K!! These guys are doing some next level stuff!!” Wow!! It’s always great when other musicians appreciate what we’re trying to do… About that same time I began looking around and realized that this wasn’t a ‘typical’ FE / Nanola crowd… yes – it’s usually crowded but not like this… I’ve never seen this many people packed into this place – for us or anyone else… Always makes me want to play that much more and if this picture was any indication I guess I was pretty ‘into it’… 🙂
What an incredible night!! The girls even stayed through the second set… The crowd was off the charts and stayed the whole night… And when it was all over I spotted Gino and his girlfriend… he couldn’t say enough nice things which just kept making me smile then he snapped this picture as I was packing up…
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Here are some more pictures from a great evening…
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Next up a rare off weekend – one of only a handful all year including Christmas!! So what do I do?? Check out some other bands of course – something I don’t get to do very often… And more SPD-SX programming (this thing is an absolute dream to program and play) and planning and shopping…
I’m thinking of trying a collapsible hand cart in hopes of cutting my load in/out trips from 7 down to 4 each way… I’ll test that theory this coming weekend at Stout…
And it seems like every show someone knocks my kick mic into the drum or so far away that it doesn’t pickup… Aaron Forgette turned me on to an internal mic mount… Maybe I’ll head to Stout 4 hours early and see if I can’t get it installed for the show that night…
I’m eliminating some items anyway… I’ve replaced my large boom and gooseneck from my vocal mic by going to a headset and this kick mount will eliminate my mini-boom stand… If I can get my 4 square cases and the extra hardware pack from the Stealth rack in one trip, and all 4 toms and the double snare case stacked and moved in one trip I just might be able to do this in 4 trips… I’ll let you know…
April 9 – our first trip back to Stout since the insanity that is the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Day Party in their giant tent a few weeks back…
It was unusually quiet for a Saturday night but eventually picked up… Maybe people had heard about all the politicians coming into / through Albany and chose to avoid the drama…
Hey – did you hear about the tiger going through the jungle eating elephant droppings?? He’d just eaten a politician and was trying to get the taste out of his mouth… 🙂
I’m happy to report that various ‘experiments’ for the day / night went well…
The couple of hours it took to properly install a new Kelly Shu bass drum mic mount INSIDE my kick (shown at right) was time very well spent!! The drum sounded amazing!! The ringing and ‘morphing’ sound of the past (as the mic stand would regularly get knocked over, moved closer or further away from it’s original, intended position) were gone and all that was left was a tight punch… all night!! I love it!! Glad I decided to do it at home (despite the additional time, effort and frustration of getting just the kick case out of a tightly and strategically packed van) – I never would have been ready for show time otherwise…
And with a new Milwaukee folding hand cart ($26 from Lowes) I was able to cut my load trips from 7 to 4 each way!!! Now all that remains to be seen is if I should have gone a little more heavy duty… It’s rated for 150 lbs. and seems to be OK but this was just one night…
Of course the Roland SPD-SX sounded fantastic – especially with the new samples I’d added during the week… AND I made my first venture into playing a song live using just the pad with a drum machine inspired kit on the song ‘Ignition’… Other than missing the live sound on stage everyone thought it sounded perfect!!
I’ve made some more adjustments to the Stealth racks and am now incorporating my chimes regularly and happy with their position… This is quickly approaching ‘dream kit’ status (other than the minor nightmare of moving it)… It’s looking good!!
Next up our first trip to what we’re hearing is an incredible new venue in the newly rejuvinated Rotterdam Mall (now Via Port)… The Via Entertainment complex is housed in a former TJ Maxx store so all I know going in is that it’ll be a big room…
April 15 – interesting night at the Social House Sports Bar in the Via Entertainment complex in Rotterdam… The band is way back against a wall isolated from the large room… there are several odd walls reflecting sound directly back at the band and the metal ceiling rattles constantly (after all, this used to be a TJ Maxx store)… If a band member tries to sing or play from half way down the room the room delay and echo is so bad the band starts getting out of sync… easily one of the worst rooms we’ve ever dealt with acoustically… Oh – and the portable stage, which was only big enough for bass, keys and myself (barely), had a 2-3 inch sag and bounce right under me so I spent the whole night trying to hit moving targets and even felt a little nauseous the end of the night from the relentless bouncing… this was NOT a good time…
The layout is atrocious and whoever’s running the show doesn’t seem to know what they want to do or even the demographic they’re targeting… They made it 21 and over – insisting that an hour before showtime they would be throwing out any one under 21… They relaxed that to allow people over 18 but each person had to have A PARENT with them!! They were originally charging $15 cover but were convinced to drop it to $5 in the days prior but the day of the show we had people telling us that it was back up to $10 online so they didn’t come… The venue’s website had the hours wrong in one spot and listed us as performing on the previous Monday in another… I don’t have a lot of faith in their chances for survival but it’s early and who knows, they could figure a lot of things out… but apparently they’re going to do it the hard way…
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April 16 – this had to be, by far, one of if not THE best nights this version of FE has had!!
A 60 degree day lead to some discussion as to whether we’d try to play outside rather than in but, as much as we love playing out in the beer garden, the prospect of 40 degree temps as the night when on lead to the decision to keep it inside (good choice)…
Centre Street Pub was it’s usual wall-to-wall crowd with lots of new faces as well as some familiar ones… the PA sounded the best it’s ever sounded and the band was really clicking and kicking the crap out of every song!!
And me – I couldn’t stop smiling…
Next up a return to Nanola with a bunch of new tunes (and some new samples on my pad) then we head into the studio for a new demo followed by the first wedding of the year… Spring has sprung!!
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April 23 – Nanola was a little different tonight to say the least… great crowd – lots of new faces including my good friends JoJo from school (who we’re converting to a great tech person) and her husband Brian – Avant Garde Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps alum and Lazar Wolf from last weekend’s amazing Schuylerville Community Theater production of ‘Fiddler On the Roof’!! Great seeing you all!!!
And the new tunes?? Holy crap – they’re fun to play!! I’m especially enjoying the quick nod to ‘Wipeout’ we’re tagging on the end of ‘I’m A Believer’ (I sampled the iconic laugh from the beginning of the original and trigger it during the song) and our abbreviated version of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ that we’re going to tack on the end of ‘Funk #49’ replacing ‘Footloose’ and coming off our surprise visit to ‘The Ocean’ gives that mashup a double dose of Zepplin!!
April 24 – today FE and EVO2 both head into an Albany recording studio to put together some new corporate demos… John Chiera (the engineer) was nice enough to come in 90 minutes early so I could get setup and ready before everyone else arrived… This was pretty indicative of how the day would go…
- I was setup, mic-ed and sound checked all before noon
- Josh (bass), Jay (guitar), Nick (keys) and myself knocked out all 6 songs IN ONE TAKE!!
- I was torn down, packed up and loaded before 2:30!!
I hung out the rest of the afternoon waiting to lay down my backup vocals and was still headed home just after 5:00. Studio time NEVER goes this smooth… Special thanks to John for keeping things moving and the FE rhythm section for making this a breeze!!
Here are a few pics…
May 6 – Schenectady Firemen’s 99th Anniversary banquet tonight at the Desmond. We played their 98th Anniversary at the Glen Sanders Mansion but something was different tonight…
The Desmond illustrated their typical money-grab mentality by booking the room for the day and barely enough time to reset the tables let alone get any entertainment in but the table crew and FE drums, sound and lights managed to work around each other… Then they chose to cram the event into a small rear ballroom… The space for the band AND DJ was ‘cozy’ to say the least – tables full of guests inches from being ‘ON STAGE’ (there was no stage) and totally behind the speakers…
The two firemen in charge came over while we were setting and told us if anyone besides them told us to ‘turn down’ don’t do it – they wanted us to ‘do what we do’… OK… When they finish their speeches we take the stage and half the room heads for the courtyard… Hmmm… no dancing until at least half way through the set… we thought it might have been because it was taking forever for anyone to get a drink at the bar (typical of a Desmond open bar – always understaffed)… A few people eventually started dancing then a few more and it looked like it might be a party after all… Then the ‘experts’ started visiting… ‘it’s too loud’… ‘there’s too much bass’… ‘you need more speakers’… ‘there’s no energy’ (maybe because you just had us mix everything to bedroom stereo levels)…
Later we found out that there was much dissension within the department… some wanted a DJ only, some wanted a band and some wanted only country music – one of which told our DJ that ‘hiring this band was the worst mistake they’ve ever made’. You know what?? They won’t have that problem next year – at least not with FE because whenever they decide to have the 100th anniversary, we’re already booked – that’s for sure. Made for a miserable night…
May 7 – Come back time!! After the fiasco that was the firemen’s banquet we were all looking forward to our return to Centre Street Pub in Schenectady!!
It was cloudy and breezy during the day and should only be in the low 50’s but dry by 1:00am so they made the decision to put us in the beer garden!! We love this during the summer but it wasn’t quite that on this night… A cold breeze blew on and off along the train bridge behind us but once you were playing it really wasn’t bad… well, unless you were trying to keep a horn in tune…
It was a great time and the evening was highlighted by the public debut of EVO2 – Funk Evolution’s sister band. I offered my kit and all to Evan – EVO2’s drummer… great guy, great player and singer… and the band killed their mini-set!! I think the Centre Street crowd is already looking forward to seeing them again!!
Big difference from the previous night and most welcome by the FE membership I’m sure…
We were also able to debut some new material that we were excited to perform and was very well received by the Centre Street crowd.
May 13 – We’re honored that the prestigious Lake George Club thought enough of our performance at a wedding there last year to invite us to entertain at their members only party in a couple weeks and tonight at a surprise birthday party for a pair of brothers (and owners of Mohawk Honda)!! What a great time with super people…
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May 14 – Our last visit to JJ Rafferty’s in Latham until October… An oddly quiet night which included another preview of the new EVO2 band AND a visit from the amazing Stephanie from Upstate Music Fan Zone who setup multiple cameras and captured our first set and the EVO2’s mini set. Here are some of the videos she made…
Zoot Suit Riot / Shake Your Body
On a personal note… I arrived more than 3 and a half hours before our scheduled start time which allowed me the space to unpack and setup comfortably and spend some extra time tuning and polishing everything. I was extremely pleased with how everything came out and the kit sounded great from the back during sound check.
Once again I invited Evan from EVO2 to use my kit and headset mic so I was able to sit out front and take it all in… the vocal mic sounded fine though a little buried but I was very disappointed with the sound of the kit through the PA… the kick was ringing like crazy, there was hardly any snare (and consequently no discernable back beat) and no toms at all. I know these heads and my tuning sound good as evidenced by the big sound they had in the studio a few weeks ago using the same mics… And they sounded round and full in my in-ears but whatever was going through the fronts (if anything) must have been in the tops only – not the subs… more work to be done.
May 21 – FE’s first wedding at the stunning Inn at Erlowest on Lake George… just look at this venue…
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It was a fabulous day / evening with some of the nicest staff of any venue I’ve ever played…
But the kicker this day was the wedding party – what a great group of people!! Especially Bob – the father of the bride… when he asked his daughter what she’d like on her wedding day she said for him to play drums at her reception. He told her he hadn’t played in 47 years and didn’t even have drums anymore… then he set out to surprise her… he went out and bought a candy apple double bass set of Pearls and had someone drop them off at the Inn earlier in the day. I offered him my kit to play but he really wanted me to play with him. I told him I’d be using brushes which made him chuckle…
I helped him setup then we covered them up with a giant tablecloth right before he went to the ceremony down at the lake. I think he was more nervous at the prospect of drumming than his daughter’s nuptials…
Right before we were to go back on stage and bring him up I jokingly asked him if he wanted to go in the back with me and do some warmup exercises… He told me he just did – a little Petron… 🙂
When the time came Rocco introduced him and he saddled up and we lit into ‘Soul Man’ and he did a fine job. There was a little rust (after 47 years – I probably couldn’t hold a stick) and he did almost lose a stick once but he snagged it out of the air and was right back on the beat. When we kicked into ‘Mustang Sally’ I think he was able to relax a little and actually enjoy himself – I know I did.
As I was packing up the end of the night he stopped to thank me again and as did a number of guests for making such a terrific memory for them… It was my pleasure believe me. Congratulations, Bob!!
May 27 – the beginning of a true test of my fitness (or lack thereof), my endurance, my diet, my conditioning… tonight, after a 40+ hour work week and capping of a 9+ hour work day, I head to Saratoga for the first of 5 gigs back to back as FE begins its summer residency on the party deck at Dango’s on Caroline Street in Saratoga… If tonight was any indication this is going to be the craziest summer yet!!
May 28 – a wedding reception like nothing I’ve ever played with the greatest audience I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing for!! A reception on such a whole other level to be beyond words (but I’ll try)…
On this day we returned to Jimbo’s On the Point of Pines in Brant Lake – a unique venue with some of the nicest staff in the business. Big, beautiful room but no AC and of course, much like last year’s wedding here, it was 90+ and humid…
But the story on this day was the wedding party – in particular, the happy couple as this would be FE’s first gay wedding. The band seemed pretty cool with it – after all we all know gay people or have gay friends – but I think there was still a little anxiety in the back of everyone’s mind as this was new territory for the band and we especially didn’t want to offend anyone by appearing uncomfortable in any way… No problem at all!! It turned out to be the party to end all parties!!
My biggest concern was stumbling on the all-important wedding party introductions… But Rocco had done his homework and even spoke directly with the grooms and the Officiant (who turned out to be Patrick – a friend of some friends of mine) and it was absolutely perfect!!
As I was setting up I could hear laughter and music coming from the beach just outside and some of the Jimbo’s staff commented that this had to be the most relaxed and fun wedding group they’ve ever had there. A short time later I met Ryan and then Adam and couldn’t believe how calm they both were… Here it was a mere 3 hours before the ceremony and they’re just casually strolling in to grab a sandwich before getting ready… cool!!
When the party started though it really started!! From the first note to the last these people obviously enjoyed themselves immensely – despite the oppressing heat and humidity – and took us along for the ride… thank you!! The biggest surprise of the evening was when Tameka made her way onto the dance floor and invited people to sing along as she often does but these people could sing!! I mean REALLY SING!! At one point there were several gathered around her – belting out the tune in perfect harmony!! The band just stopped and listened in awe… amazing!!
It wasn’t until much later that I would find out that the audience, while containing several music educators, was otherwise largely comprised of people from Broadway – actors and actresses from various productions ‘Rock of Ages’, ‘Little Mermaid’ and so many more… I guess after you’ve been on Broadway, getting married is a walk in the park (‘Sunday In the Park With George’ maybe?)… 🙂
This was easily and by far the best, most enjoyable, friendliest and genuinely most appreciative group I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing for!! If this is what playing ‘alternative’ weddings is like then book nothing else for me – I’d rather play parties like these every week!!
When it was all said and done and I was packed and on my way home I realized that, even with the over-abundance of obviously tremendously talented people in the room, NO ONE felt the need to invite themselves on stage, help themselves to a mic and start singing… that happens more than we care to think about and usually by people with little or no talent (but lots of ‘liquid courage’)…
Something else I’m just realizing… it’s funny, in general, how many fewer ‘issues’ there seem to be and how much more appreciative people are at these types of events when many of those in attendance are in the entertainment industry… I guess they know better than most what all has gone into making their party and making it look easy when it is not in actuality… Maybe because, being entertainers themselves, they think of us as something more than just part of the ‘hired help’ for the day…
May 29 – the following night we returned to the Lake George Club for their new members dinner…
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May 30 – the final test of my strength and conditioning… coming off three nights in a row with FE I would take to the streets with the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline for not one but TWO parades back to back!!
We started the day in Lansingburgh… a 9:30 rehearsal and an 11:00 step-off… the sun came out shortly before it began and it got hot… very hot!! I was back in my van by 12:30… a quick stop at Hannaford for a bathroom break and a cold beverage (the water I always carry was more like bath water by the end) then off to Wynantskill!!
I pulled into our designated parking area just about 1:00, freshened up (another layer of deodorant and some body spray) then we all walked over to lineup and step-off at 1:30… and it was even hotter than earlier!! You can tell from the smiles that we definitely love doing this but I think we’re all ready to kick the Crawford brothers asses for dressing us in black shorts, black jerseys and black hats that don’t breathe…
And with Matt (#2 bass) still off at college I’m reading – adding his parts to mine instead of just playing which adds a certain level of mental fatigue… He’s back next week thankfully but Cat (#4 bass) is away so I’ll be reading his parts this time but a few days later we’ll hit the street with all 5 basses for probably the only time this year… I can’t wait!!!
June 3 – back to Dango’s and Funk Evolution’s summer residency on the ‘deck the FE built’ for another crazy party in downtown Saratoga…
June 4 – FE returns for it’s 5th (or 6th) year as the sole entertainment for the Freihofer’s Run for Women in Albany!! It’s always a challenge playing the night before this event as we have to load in at 6:00AM. This year we were all blown away by Tameka’s rendition of the Star Spangled Banner before the race!! Click the screen capture below to see the video…
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This is my 3rd time for this and 2nd perched majestically under the ass-end of the Sheridan statue in East Capitol Park…
June 9 – Avant Garde Alumni Drumline debuts a new selection named ‘Quarter Master’ and makes its first visit to the Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade!! For me the biggest news of the day was that ‘Cat’ WOULD be marching which meant a full bass line for the first time in almost a year and no reading for me!!
It was a great parade with a ton of patriotic and appreciative on-lookers and participants. We hope we’re invited back next year… Here are some highlights…
June 10 – FE returns to Dango’s and what they’re calling ‘the deck the FE built’…
June 11 – FE heads back to the Sagamore for a wedding in the Shelving Rock Room which was really a cement patio with a semi-permanent tent canopy over it… It was a little chilly for June – only 60+ degrees, a little windy and no sun to speak of so it was a good thing they had the sides on the tent. Once the party started we could have used some AC because the temperature in the tent must have jumped 20 degrees!!
This was my view for the day…
On this night we had a special guest – the bride’s cousin – Betty Rose – would sing the first dance and accompany herself on acoustic guitar and did an absolutely beautiful job. As we were sound checking, I heard her say that she doesn’t usually play acoustic and had to rent the one she had which gave me a funny feeling but I didn’t think anymore about it.
Later in the evening this impromptu conga line broke out which was a blast… Then we were told that there were upwards of 100 hotel guests dancing to the music outside on the balconies of the hotel – what a cool experience!!
Then, last song of the night, Rocco invites Betty Rose back to the stage and she tears up ‘Superstition’!! Click the screen capture below to see the video…
June 12 – AGAD hits the streets for the annual Troy Flag Day Parade and our last full bass line appearance until who knows when since Matt would hop a plane as soon as we were done but I was so glad he was able to make it in for the weekend. Here we are warming up together…
It’s usually 90+, sunny and humid and we’re all fading by the time we hit the end but this year it was cloudy and windy and only in the 60’s!! We could have gone another mile without a problem!! Here are a couple clips…
Playing for the Troy Muchachos alums
June 17 – FE makes its debut on the patio at a unique venue – Firestone 151!!
It used to be a Firestone tire and repair shop and is located at 151 Lafayette Street in Schenectady. Word is they brought in some big name architectural firm for the redesign and it is fabulous as is the food!!
They even kept the three garage doors from the bays – that’s what opens up from the interior restaurant to the outside patio and I believe bisects the bar – very cool!! You can see a little of the doors (painted black) on the left in the picture to the right…
It was a great night and we made a lot of new friends and are already looking forward to returning later this summer.
June 18 – the second of back-to-back Saturday weddings at the aw-inspiring Sagamore Resort in Bolton Landing on Lake George. Same room -eh, tent as last week but much better weather and we really appreciated their ability to pump AC into it on this day…
And the room was decorated a little differently this time around…
June 19 – Father’s Day and I’m looking at the calendar and realize I have next weekend off – one of only 2 or 3 open weekends this year so what do I do for Father’s Day?? Load up my three generations of ladies (Mom, wife and daughter) and head to Parkway Music – I’m out of cymbal cleaner!!
The girls had conspired to treat me to lunch so we hit one of my favorite on-the-fly joints – the always tasty Country Drive-In off exit 8 in Clifton Park and followed that up with a stop at Rob & Deb’s Frozen Dreams on the way home of course… Thanks girls!!
FE’s getting a rare week off so Rocco can make the 24 hour trip to a family member’s wedding in Alaska… rest up FE boys and girl because it’s going to get crazy… 🙂
June 30 – we weren’t sure it was going to make it as it looked a little sickly and was showing no signs of life… maybe it was the bizarre weather… but, as it has done since my Mom planted it the year Selena was born, Selena Rose’s rose bloomed for the 16th year in a row and right on her birthday!!
For her birthday she wanted a small party with some close family but a karaoke party hosted by her Uncle Adam – DJ ‘Spicy”!!
Of course I had to hook her up with my wireless headset mic…
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July 1 – FE continues its summer residency on the deck at Dango’s… It looked like we might get canceled since the projected weather was pretty bad (and there’s no parking so anyone attending would have to get there on foot)… but Dango made the call to go for it.
It poured on my trip from Greenwich to Saratoga and I thought we were nuts for trying this but it had pretty much stopped by the time I ‘stalked’ a parking spot in the vicinity to load in… No one had touched the deck or the water built up on the tent and there was no one around other than two bartenders at the upper bar (both girls ignored me altogether) so I helped myself to a broom at started clearing the water from the edges where we were to setup then proceeded to sweep the deck. Once I deemed it wasn’t going to get any better I started setting up but within a few minutes it was pouring again… cats and dogs… giant frogs… call it what you will but I was pushing water off the tent every couple of minutes to try to avoid a surprise dousing… After about 20 minutes it stopped… then 10 minutes later it did it again so I was back on tent duty… this cycle repeated itself once more before things seemed to settle down for the night and yes – the sun came out!!
The rest of the group arrived to a fairly clean deck and water-free tent roof – having no idea what I’d just spent the past hour plus doing… 🙂
I still thought this might have been a mistake – even as we started playing as there were only a handful of people there but by mid-set the deck was packed just like any other night we’ve played there and it turned out to be a terrific party. And that is why Dango is a successful businessman and I’m just the ‘hired help’… 🙂
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July 2 – an event we’ve come to look forward to every year – the annual Hedge’s LakeFest!! Local radio personality Dave Covey has organized this event every 4th of July weekend to bring together the residents that live on Hedges Lake and their families and friends for a celebration like no other.
This year we had mixed emotions as Dave and Pam (pictured at right) are selling their camp and moving to South Carolina. We were very happy for them but at the same time disappointed because we know they are the driving force behind this party and without them this will most likely be the last LakeFest.
Dave and Pam’s hospitality and generosity is overwhelming and a few years ago they even constructed a tent covered stage for the band – with two separate circuits!! We play venues that have been around for years and still haven’t been able to get a grip on the power requirements for modern entertainment…
It’s grown into the one event we looked forward to every single year and we wish Dave and Pam the very best of luck!! We’re hoping they organize a similar event in South Carolina… ROAD TRIP!!
Please enjoy this slideshow as we look back at Hedge’s LakeFest 2016…
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July 8 – our first cruise of the year on the Captain JP… and, as it’s done every time we’ve played it, there were severe storms in the area!! This meant our friends the Jet Crash Boys were moved inside to the lower deck which, combined with the heavy rains that blew through, also meant a steady flow of people between bands all night. It was a great time and we made a lot of new friends…
July 9 – an interesting FE return to Centre Street Pub – our last until November…
We’ve had some great nights at Centre Street Pub but nothing like tonight… 🙂
We moved inside because of the weather threat which was a tough call because we absolutely love playing the CSP Beer Garden… And it was hot inside… I’m guessing 15-20 degrees hotter than outside…and muggy… literally sauna-like conditions… So hot that as soon as we started playing I would be trying to find a hole in the song to get a wrist band to my eyes to alleviate the burning from the sweat that was pouring down my face… THAT kind of hot… AND I LOVED IT!!!
And so did the CSP faithful by the looks… the dance floor. was packed from start to finish and a couple encores to boot!!
Thank you CSP fans for one unforgettable night!!
See you Thanksgiving Eve!!
July 12 – Finally… after several years of not being able to work it into the schedule and get the weather to cooperate, I finally got my front deck treated… with a lot of help from my daughter… 🙂 We did a great job if I do say so myself…
July 15 – FE makes its debut at the swanky new Rascal’s in Crossgates Mall.
We weren’t sure exactly what to expect but were treating it like a Vapor gig – nice jeans, button down shirt, etc… classy but relaxed. I was dreading the load-in as mall gigs are rarely easy and this one is on the second floor… We were told to enter through an ‘unmarked’ mall entrance, take the ESCALATOR to the second floor and the venue would be just off the escalator. I parked and went in to scout the location and plan my ‘attack’… what a beautiful venue!! I located the ‘unmarked’ entrance and the escalator and, other than not knowing how I would handle my rolling cases on the escalator, it looked to be a pretty easy load.
I moved my vehicle to just past the entrance, set my hazard lights, loaded my first cart run and was about to roll in when security walked out an told me I was parked illegally and would have to move… great. I loaded everything back in the van and proceeded further down the mall to locate the huge compactors and find an entrance into the bowels of the mall and a freight elevator. I liked this better… even though it was a longer, there was no escalator OR PEOPLE to work around. Plus it brought me right into the back end of Rascal’s, down the hall, past the Green Room to a ramp – yes… A RAMP – that led right up to a rear stage entrance… perfect!!
Where do I begin… a welcome ramp to get gear on stage (some other places need to take note)… the room is gorgeous… the stage is huge with a 50 or 60 panel LED screen for a backdrop… the house lighting is top notch and the house system, manned by our friends from Live Sound Inc., should sound great.
I was greeted by a number of friendly staff members who guided me through my first visit and led me to the stage – stopping to point out the Green Room / dressing room… Prior to Tameka’s arrival they brought flowers and, between sets, some of the most amazing food!!
Then, as I was setting up, I couldn’t help but marvel at the giant LED panel behind me… Once I finished I had to get some picture of the kit…
When we started playing the place really came to life…
There was a great crowd on this night and the Live Sound Inc. guys did a fantastic job with all our instruments and vocals and wireless devices!!
It’s an amazing venue that’s still finding its footing but I hope catches on!! I’m already looking forward to playing there again…
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July 16 – FE made one of two trips this year to the Copake KOA… it’s always a great time – especially watching the kids getting into it…
And I got to break out a shirt it seems I never get to wear – ‘Dogs Playing Poker’… 🙂
See you all Columbus Day Weekend!!
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July 22 – after a couple weeks away, FE continues its summer residency on the deck at Dango’s… the storm threat disappeared but the temperature didn’t drop – easily in the 80’s with a packed tent on top of that… sweat was pouring into my eyes before we ever finished the first song each set… my clothes were soaked and I was a hot, sticky mess… and loving every minute of it!!
July 23 – ROAD TRIP!! We weren’t sure what to expect as we headed towards NYC for a wedding at a new venue for us – the Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills… In the weeks prior we were unable to get a response from anyone regarding the itinerary, load-in, etc. Then what we got in an email surprised us all – a manual of ‘Vendor Protocol’!! This was a long list of ‘don’ts’ put out by the venue that included ‘no flashing lights’ (there goes our light show – we weren’t even allowed to change the color during the night), we MUST load in vis the stairs behind the kitchen (there is an elevator but that’s for the public ONLY), vendors are not allowed to drink or smoke ANYWHERE on the property but my personal favorite has to be ‘vendors must be loaded out within two hours of the event’s completion or face a $500 / half hour FINE’!!
We tried to communicate with them during the week regarding things like the flashing lights because they’re part of our package and anyone who’s seen us expects that but when asked if they could explain the rule the person in charge said, “I don’t have to explain anything to you!!” Obviously vendors are considered LESS than the hired help at this place… we were starting to dread a lot more than the three hour drive to get there…
However, once we arrived and met everyone in person and learned of the history of this amazing place, many things became clear (though not the flashing lights or the fine) and we were able to have an absolutely fantastic party at this very upscale location!!
And the wedding party was an incredible group – many coming from Louisiana and Texas including the best man Christian and his brother… both musicians, extremely nice and couldn’t say enough nice things to us when it was all over… thanks guys!!
Here’s a little more about Stone Barns…
The Blue Hill restaurant is part of the Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture – a nonprofit organization on a mission to create a healthy and sustainable food system.
https://www.bluehillfarm.com/dine/stone-barns or https://www.stonebarnscenter.org/
July 29 – just another crazy night at Dango’s…
July 30 – our first visit of the year to the Pig ‘N Whistle in Burnt Hills!! Light rain on and off throughout the evening but not enough to drive off the crowd… then it poured as we were packing… seems to do this every time we play here…
July 31 – what better way to close out July than with a late afternoon / early evening show at Nanola in Malta!!
August 5 – FE continues its summer residency on the deck at Dango’s!! But tonight the audience contained some people who were a special kind of crazy…
August 6 – A special wedding at the Crooked Lake House… special beyond the wonderful bride and groom who have been regulars at the Hedges LakeFest we play each year… special because they kept their reception entertainment (namely Funk Evolution) a well guarded secret… as we were setting up no one knew and I even covered the logo on my bass drum head so as not to give it away… Shortly before the ceremony which took place outside one of the bridesmaids recognized Rocco and came screaming and running across the lawn!! She couldn’t believe that we were really there… It wasn’t until everyone was seated at the reception for the introduction of the bridal party that it was made official which received a huge roar from the crowd. It made for a great party into the wee hours and a 15 hour day for yours truly…
August 10 – we’re honored and excited to be asked back to Freedom Park for the second year in a row!!
August 11 – tonight I filled in with ‘Aged In the Hills’ at a summer concert in their home town of Ballston Spa… beautiful evening, great crowd and the band was clicking which was a neat trick for none of us having played together since the same show last year… 🙂
August 12 – another wedding at the Inn at Erlowest…
August 13 – our first wedding at the Orchard Creek Country Club… a beautiful open air venue but very well designed which would pay off later…
As you can see in the picture at right, this entire side, the back (to the left) and half of the back side or open air… there’s a finished cement floor and the rear and back right of the building hold the fully constructed kitchen and bathrooms. A really remarkable room!!
It was hot and muggy and we knew there was a chance at some weather later but nothing could have prepared us for what blew threw…
About mid-way through dinners the sky got dark and I mean dark like night… the clouds were doing things I’d never seen before… at one point on the mountain behind the venue the clouds looked like a volcano erupting… a short time later I stood on this path looking towards the west and there were clouds moving southeast but also moving northeast – like they were splitting in two directions and there was lightning and thunder off in the distance… no rain but the wind was picking up which is when we really appreciated how well designed this structure was… in the picture you can see some of the canvas ‘doors’… when the weather started getting ‘questionable’, the staff quickly slide these flaps over the openings and secured them to the receptacles built into the floor with dog-type clips that were part of the material… very solid!!
We continued to watch in awe as the skies did crazy things… it rained hard for only a few minutes then everything seemed to settle down.
We went back to the clubhouse after our first set to grab a drink and enjoy the air conditioning as it was still oppressively hot which is when we started hearing reports of damage at a music festival at the Pine Lake campground… lots of injuries – possibly caused by a tornado!! We found out later that this was the case and the destruction was unbelievable…
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Before we went back to play we all stood and marveled at the sky off towards Lake George that seemed to contain unending lightning activity. Someone posted this picture of the Minne-Ha-Ha on the lake that night… scary!!
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August 19 – another wedding – this time a Water’s Edge Lighthouse… about the only real excitement this night was when I pulled up and someone was constructing a multi-story hotel in the parking lot and on the road – in fact, right up to the front door where we used to load in!!
August 20 – Dango’s… what more can I say…
August 21 – A special Sunday afternoon / early evening visit to Nanola…
August 26 and 27 – Dango’s and Travers weekend… they go together like ‘salt’ and ‘peter’ – ‘PEPPER’ – I meant to say ‘pepper’… $10 cover and $13 drink prices = locals need not come this weekend – this is about gouging the out-of-towners… 🙂
And we got a visit from the Saratoga PD… Saratoga has a hard 1:00am cutoff for outdoor entertainment but it was about that when Rocco had the entire place chanting ‘we don’t give a shit about no curfew’… As you can imagine, we didn’t get to finish our next song… 🙂
September 4 – a rare weekend off (sort of) for FE so my daughter and I decided to get back into tennis!! I used to play daily but haven’t played in years… it felt great to be out there again but I was a little surprised at how bad the area courts have become… even the college courts that used to be the best around were in pretty bad shape… easy to tell that the current AD isn’t the tennis coach… 🙂
FE took Friday and Saturday off then headed to Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid for a wedding… my first time in Placid since marching in the ground breaking ceremony parade for the Olympics back in ’78…
September 9 – the Pig ‘N’ Whistle wants to cancel again and this time we let them… BUT within 30 minutes of the cancelation Dango’s calls (must have seen our cancellation post on Facebook) and puts us in immediately… THANK YOU!!
September 10 – another wedding at the Sagamore… this one was an eye-opener in that I think I have a new perspective to the issues some people are having with law enforcement… a large part of this party – including the groom – are Albany PD… it was a great party but marred (in my mind at least) by several people continually inviting themselves on stage, and grabbing expensive equipment with total disregard… Rocco’s sax found it’s way to the dance floor, a number of groomsmen decided it was a karaoke party and grabbed mics to sing along with the DJ… we came back from break to find the groom banging away on my drums… but the clincher was this self-entitled blonde who talked her way on stage to do the rap from Ice Ice Baby… after she slaughtered it she looked at Rocco, waited for his back to turn (like a small child) then dropped his $1000 wireless mic from head-high… clueless!!!
September 11 – back to Crooked Lake House for a Sunday wedding…
September 16 – a Captain JP Booze Cruise…
September 17 – a unique wedding at a super secret location outside Saratoga… The story goes that this is a private residence but the owner rents the property out 3 or 4 times a year (and he has to be one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met). The group coming in provides all their own stuff – tents, tables, food, beverages, entertainment, etc. We were in the small barn / studio for the reception and every place you looked in the room you saw something different and interesting… some acquired by the owner – others created by him!! It was fascinating…
The ceremony was right outside then everyone came in for cocktail hour prior to heading over to the tent to sit down for dinner then returning for the party.
It really was a magical evening…
Next up – my first trip to Turning Stone for a private party to entertain one of the band sponsor’s parent company’s execs…
September 22 – my first trip to Turning Stone Casino – what an amazing facility even though the load-in sucks (they let us use the loading dock but it’s so high I still ended up using stairs to get to the first level)…
The occasion was Belvedere (one of the band sponsors) invited us to entertain some executives from the parent company Hennessy…
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My kit looks pretty good on the stage of the Turquoise Tiger lounge…
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And so did I if I do say so myself…
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What a room!! And it’s the only lounge in the entire casino that has gambling tables IN the lounge!!
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September 23 – back to Rascal’s in Crossgates Mall!!
September 24 – we returned to Nanola…
October 1 – FE is scheduled to play at JJ Rafferty’s but I had to ask for a sub and former drummer Dave Teta agreed to jump in.
Over the past few months there have been a number of tempo issues (many things are just too fast)… the rest of the rhythm section says they know it’s not my fault but that doesn’t make any of us any happier… since we only have one show on this weekend I took the night off to examine some other options and reevaluate whether I still thought I was the right fit for the group. It’s only the second gig I’ve ever missed in 40+ years but the first of my own choosing and I’m sad to see it get to that point but…
October 7 – our monthly visit to Nanola… something different tonight… a couple times Rocco actually asked me to pull some tunes back…
October 8 – a wedding at Saratoga National and the return of sound man Matt Olmstead…
October 9 – our only visit to Copake KOA for their closing weekend… great people and party!!
October 14 – back to Rascal’s once again for a B95 ‘Nurse’s Night Out’ Party…
I’d forgotten how horrible Rascal’s is for sound – everything bounces of the back wall and comes back at you a split second later which makes it tough to play… Given that and our tempo discussions during the week I spent this night staring at Jay’s (guitar) strum hand and trying to keep things in check… At the end of the night he commented that his ‘hand wasn’t aching’ but things still weren’t right… I think I know what he means because I used to love the pocket that Jay and Josh (bass) and I would create and Jay used to say how much he loved being able to just play and not have to think about it.. But that was long gone and we knew it… He used to turn and just smile at me but now neither of us were enjoying playing and all I was doing was thinking it about it every note I played. As we were packing he asked if it felt better to me… I couldn’t think of a single song all night that felt good – maybe because I was no longer playing by ‘feel’ – I was just trying to be the pacemaker that kept everyone happy… I told him ‘yes’ but he knew the truth… he told me to stop staring at him and just play it as I felt it – “THAT’S the DJ I want to play with!!” Thanks, Jay – I needed that!!
October 15 – FE’s second trip to JJ Rafferty’s in two weeks and this night had disaster written all over it from the get-go…
No sound guy so Rocco’s trying to dial in the PA while the freaking DJ has dance music pounding so loud it made me nauseous by the end of the night and also made it totally impossible to get ANYTHING to sound right…
We’re packing up and Jay stopped to say that he was very pleased with the tempos and feel… But now the DJ was pounding louder than ever, I couldn’t remember a thing and was just trying to pack before I blew chunks everywhere from the constant vibration my innards were being subjected too. And I wasn’t alone – Nick (keyboard) was having the same issues…
Next up – our (hopefully) last outdoor gig of the year… I’m already checking the forecast for snow in Lake George… 🙂
October 21 – FE performed at the Lake George Harvest Festival… The sound company provided the backline which meant I only had to bring cymbals, a snare and sticks which was a welcome change… Unfortunately, that’s about the only good thing I can say about the evening…
Let’s start with the festival’s organization or lack thereof… It was originally scheduled to take place in the Charles R. Wood Park and they were advertising $20 weekend tickets but no mention of single day costs… Two days before the festival we received word that it had been moved to Shepard Park… There was a band ahead of us so we’d have a half hour to make the transition… Not having to setup my full kit meant this would be plenty for me but I arrived a little more than an hour early anyway (of course) and caught their last song… apparently we’ll have an HOUR to transition…
I was able to park on the street right across from the park since there was hardly anyone in town… I wandered down and the sound crew couldn’t have been a nicer bunch of guys and helped me adjust the kit to my personal preference and in no time we were ready to go. Now the challenge became staying warm… it was 40 degrees and pissing rain and the wind blew it right in the back of the open stage off the lake so I and the gear were all pretty soaked before we were done.
When it was all over we had played for a TOTAL of 6 people – not counting the handful of vendors at the top of the hill who seemed to enjoy us because they had nothing to do all night… I’m not sure what drove people off more – the weather… the change of venue and lack of publicity about it… or the vagueness regarding ticket prices… Whatever the reason, I’d say this festival was an enormous bust… And 5 minutes after we played the last note I was in my van making the 10 minute drive to home… 🙂
October 22 – today FE had the honor of playing our saxophonist Justin Gadlewski’s brother’s wedding… It was monsoon season apparently – another 40 degree day with steady rains and high winds so I was really glad to be inside. Unfortunately I had to setup right in front of a drafty back door and froze my ass off in my suit all night… I was feeling pretty good after playing in the rain in Lake George but the combination of that and this hit me mid-afternoon Monday and I battled another nasty head cold the rest of the week…
October 28 – FE headed to the Saratoga Winery for their first Hallo-WINE party!! But first a side note…
I was just starting to feel a little better from the head cold that had been kicking my ass all week so you can imagine how thrilled I was to check in and learn we were playing in the TENT behind the building!! To be fair, there were heaters – 3 out in the crowd and 1 right behind Nick that started melting his cables… but lucky me – I had to setup in an area that set back behind the tent and the heaters… still under cover, but open air on both sides and underneath and believe me when I say that no heat AT ALL found its’ way back to where I played all night… Oh – did I mention that the night before we had about 4 inches of wet snow?? Yeah – it was THAT cold… they had gotten the snow off the tent but not before it bent some of the support bars… and something was dripping on me all night…
I built make shift wall out of my cases and managed to block a lot of the winds blowing through but had no clue that we’d be playing essentially outside on this evening… thankfully I had worn a knit cap and a heavier coat and still had my corps jacket in the car because I had to layer up before we started…
It was a great party and the hundreds that attended seemed to have a great time… maybe they had been sampling the wines… I don’t drink so I couldn’t load up with ‘anti-freeze’… 🙂
October 29 – we make our annual visit to Stout in Albany for their big Halloween party and costume contest…
It was a typical night at Stout though the crowd seemed a little light… And I had a mascot perched behind me all night that I kept elbowing…
For whatever reason the staff felt it necessary to keep the front and side doors open all night so even though we were playing inside I managed to freeze AGAIN!! This time I came away with the head cold from Hell and even missed a day of work because of it… This sucks!! AND FE just booked a private party in Saratoga at a private residence in mid-November… IN A TENT!!
As I said, this was a ‘typical’ night at Stout and no night there is complete without some sort of brawl…
As I was packing up I noticed that most of the band had left but I’m seeing bits and pieces of their gear that they’ve left behind… odd… and Matt who was on sound this night who typically takes forever because he loves to ‘shoot the shit’ was also gone…
I kept packing and at one point looked out and see them all standing on the deck… OK – was this the band meeting where they’re going to throw me out (I’m a very secure individual)?? As I finished packing Matt returned and told me there (as usual) had been a fight in the parking lot between three groups of people… one group jumped another because one of the guys had bumped into one of their girlfriends blah, blah, blah… Anyway the little bastard that started it all started punching Mikey D’s (trumpet player) wife Samantha’s car and broke the headlight!! Mike was driving down in his car from the other end of the lot… He flew down, jumped out and the kid takes off his shirt like he’s ready to go at it then run’s off with Mike in chase until Rocco stopped him.
I finished loading the van and waited until Mike returned to say the cops had caught him and they had to go to the police station to file charges because none of them had actually seen the kid do it… In the end the punk was charged with a Class C Felony because the damage was over $250… he had been arrested on Caroline Street over the summer for assault as well… another 25 year old with a bright future… The police MAILED Mike a restraining order for this kid… We also heard someone say Stout was losing their liquor license because of all the issues there but don’t know if that was actually the case… should know for sure when we head back there December 2nd… I’ve never seen any issues INSIDE Stout – they have a great crew there that keep things in line and a few even hang outside the end of the night to try to make sure these types of things don’t happen… well, not on their property anyway… Kind of makes me homesick for Tumbleweeds out in Sprakers back in my Skeeter Creek days… 🙂
November 4 – we’re without Nick this weekend and Ty Anthony is filling in on keys as we head back to Centre Street in Schenectady for the first time since June (because they were too slow to get back to Rocco with dates and we were booked up)… I really missed playing in their beer garden…
November 5 – back to Nanola… it was a little quieter than usual and I’m afraid a lot of the people that were there early on were driven out by the over-the-top sub-woofer levels…
But the more important thing about these two nights, at least to me, was I felt like I was starting to settle in and relax with my playing again… Josh (bass) made the comment both nights that it had felt great – ‘was I playing differently?’… and Jay (guitar) stopped me on break a couple times to say how good everything was feeling… it’s taken almost a year to get back to where things were feeling good for all of us… time will tell but for this weekend anyway we felt like the rhythm section was starting to gel again.
November 10 – I got a ‘soul vaccination’ courtesy of Anthony Califano – the elementary music teacher where I work…
I’ve been trying to catch Tower of Power live since I first heard them back in the 70’s but never made it. Then I heard they were coming to the Cohoes Music Hall (of all places – recently taken over by the Palace Theatre) but the ticket prices were a little steep for me to be spending on myself that close to Christmas so I thought I’d have to miss them yet again. Then Tony stops me in the hall one day and asks if I’m going and offered me a pair of tickets he’d won on a radio contest… I’m going – I’m really going!!!
It was a fabulous night!! The tiny music hall was rocking but no where near obnoxiously loud… very clear… and even though my free ticket was in the last row of the balcony I still had to be less than 200 feet from the band and Dave Garibaldi in particular… FANTASTIC!!!! Well worth the 40+ years it took to finally see a live show…
November 12 – FE’s second to last visit to JJ Rafferty’s…
November 19 – an outdoor private party in November!!! AND they offered us an extra $100 each if we’d dress up in our 70’s costumes… For $100 I’d have worn a tutu (and gladly froze my cayunies off)… The tent was ‘heated’ but they didn’t turn it on until after I was setup (and shivering) and shut it off as soon as the cops came and shut down the party…
November 23 – a rare sort of back-to-back in one place… Centre Street Pub hired us for their huge Thanksgiving Eve party then several months later booked us for the night after Thanksgiving and told us we could leave everything setup!!
November 26 – FE returns to what is quickly becoming one of my favorite places – Rascal’s in Crossgates Mall. I was a little concerned about fighting the day after Black Friday crowds at a mall but it couldn’t have gone smoother… And I enjoyed setting up in front of the Penn State game which made me look like I was in the huddle with my drums…
December 2 – our monthly (give or take) visit to Nanola…
December 3 – FE’s final visit to Stout… They’re getting killed by a new club on Pearl Street and are dropping live entertainment for 2017…
December 9 – Fingerpaint Marketing’s Christmas party…
December 10 – FE’s final visit to JJ Rafferty’s as they join the growing list of clubs abandoning live entertainment for DJs… I’ve been at this long enough to know this is a normal occurrence and it will probably get worse before the pendulum starts to swing back the other way as it always does…
As a souvenir I came away with this nice picture of my kit where I managed to photo bomb it myself…
December 16 – this was supposed to be our first appearance at Ship’s Pub but the weather had different ideas and they postponed us to January…
December 23 – you can’t spell ‘festive’ without ‘FE’ so we were jingling our bells at the beautiful Rascal’s in Crossgates Mall 2 days before Christmas… perfect for that last minute shopping!!
December 30 – back on April 15th we were the first band to play the Via Social House in the Rotterdam Mall… I said back then that I wondered if the place would survive… they had the wrong dates and times on their website and kept changing the age limit and cover charge… on this night we were scheduled to perform a New Years Eve Eve party but in the weeks just prior they informed us that the show was cancelled… we weren’t surprised… we had heard that they hadn’t had any bands in months AND the mall had reclaimed the space they were using for bands…
December 31 – New Years Eve and where would FE be this year?? The band has been at the Sagamore on Lake George the last 2 years and it went so well we were sure we’d be asked back but as Fall approached we hadn’t heard from them… we had a couple weddings up there and thought that might jog their memory and we’d book it but they said they ‘wanted to try something different’… OK…
Back in September we played a private party for Henessey in the Turquoise Tiger Room at Turning Stone Casino in Verona… one of the tribal elders was in attendance and really wanted us to return for New Years Eve but we politely declined because driving in that area is often treacherous due to regular lake effect snows…
Then in early December we were contacted by a Moet exec who had seen us at the Henessey show and was trying to put a NYE package together… at Turning Stone (oh no)… He asked that we give him a week to try to pull it all together but alas there just wasn’t enough time but they really want to book it for next year…
So when it was all said and done FE ended up with NYE off – only my 2nd or 3rd time in 40+ years of playing. I had a great time visiting my Mom and indulging in a board game marathon with my girls but financially having the night off and 2 cancellations earlier in the month meant quite a hit to my bank account.
And with that my second full year on the drum throne with Funk Evolution came to an end and I have to say that these two years have totally flown by. Despite the tempo disagreements I’m still enjoying myself immensely and have no intention of stepping down unless something changes and I’m physically unable to move the gear or my playing degrades to an unacceptable level. I’ve already told the other members that when that time comes they just need to come to me and I will get my replacement prepped and ready.
Now it’s time for year THREE!!!
The future… ‘this is my quest’…
Anybody’s guess…
Funk Evolution is the type of band I’ve been looking for my whole life!! I only wish we’d found each other 10 or 15 years ago when my chops (and my whole body for that matter) were in better shape… 🙂 I’m pretty sure this will be my last band… I’m getting ‘up there’ and refuse to scale back the kit… and, after all, how could anything follow this experience?!?
Like Glenn Miller’s search for that elusive ‘sound’, I guess I’m still looking for the ‘Holy Grail’ – that elusive band possessing the same corps style dedication, organization and preparedness I’ve come to expect of myself AND be a band that would fulfill and challenge me musically and professionally (and drive crowds crazy). Up until FE, The Upstarts’ were the only band to even approach the level and sense of organization, discipline and accomplishment that I’d experienced with drum corps – possibly because there were only three of us and two of us were drum corps guys and we knew what it meant and what it took to be prepared, polished and professional and the third guy bought into our methods… in drum corps you put in thousands of hours of rehearsal time for an 11 minute performance and you carry yourself with a certain sort of confident yet humble, prideful demeanor!!
And EVERYONE is there lending a hand from the time the first piece of equipment gets unloaded until the last piece is broke down and packed away again. I don’t know how this ever came to be ‘the norm’ – where singers and instrumentalists who travel ‘light’ shall we say can just show up significantly later, expect everything to be in place for them then leave as soon as the last note is played… I carry a lot of gear by choice so I’ll take responsibility for loading, unloading and setting up and tearing down my gear but without decent lighting and PA the entire group doesn’t look or sound good so I don’t think it’s asking too much that other players assist with the process. I’ve had the great good fortune to work with a few people locally that I would grant ‘diva’ status to – performers who had tremendous talent and charisma and stature – yet they ‘got it’ and would always lend a hand before and after shows.
I’ve also been extremely fortunate to have been ‘spoiled’ – having the opportunity to do some national shows with groups that were very popular and at the same time being as tight as anything I could ever imagine – ‘skin tight’ as they say. Had the timing been different I might still be on the road – who knows where or with whom…
I thought that if I were to land a popular group locally that drew large enthusiastic crowds every show and was fairly tight that I would be content but discovered that I was wrong… I wanted it ALL – tight.. polished… professionals… who know how to treat an audience and each other – on AND OFF stage… great arrangements… fun… dedicated, great bandmates who realize what an honor it is to be a member of even a good band (not everyone gets that honor)… coworkers as it were / TEAM players who contribute to the solution instead of whine about the problems… and of course loyal fans – without whom there’d be no reason to play in the first place…
…to again quote from my first professional experience,
—————————————————————————————-“To dream the impossible dream…”