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Happy 2017!!
As I begin my 3rd year with FE it’s yet another time of flux for the band… Tameka has given her notice and we have until April to find a suitable replacement or replacements… we’re considering bringing in a PAIR of lead singers as well as possibly adding a 4th horn back into the mix… On January 4th we’re having an audition marathon… we’ve rented studio time and have at least 6 singers coming in to show us what they’ve got… fingers are crossed!!
January 6 – After being off for NYE it feels like an eternity since I’ve played a gig!! OK – it was only 1 weekend off but I was itching to play again already and where better to kick things off than Nanola!! Lots of familiar faces and a great party!! And the Tameka countdown is on as word is out that January 20th will be her last show with FE… at Rascal’s… and it’s going to be a 70’s show!! Now where’d I put that afro?? 🙂
January 14 – FE’s first visit to the Newberry Music Hall in Saratoga and an interesting one it was…
The doors open at 8:00 so I’m thinking we’ll have to sound check ahead of that which means a 5:00 load in for me…
After I managed to find my way in I soon learned that there’s no good way to get gear in to this venue… through the main entrance and down the stairs if you’re fortunate enough to find parking on Broadway or up the stairs if you park illegally in the back… WHERE’S THE ELEVATOR?!? ROCCO WAS TOLD THERE WAS AN ELEVATOR!!!
There’s no elevator… I horsed all my gear up the back stairs (and somehow managed to avoid a heart attack or falling and landing with a heavy case on top of me)…
I met the owner and found out there was no house sound person to run the giant house PA system – said we were using our stuff which should be fun on the stairs let alone getting Rocco’s mammoth truck and trailer through the alley to the parking lot and back out…
I was setup by 6:30 and at 7:30 there was still no sign of anyone else and the comedy show was about to start… oh yeah – they scheduled a last minute comedy show ahead of us… it was in a separate room but you aren’t supposed to load in through the back while the show’s going… the rest of the group started trickling in and Rocco (who had been violently ill up until about 3:00 that day) was trying to figure out the house system and how to get our mixer to talk to it.
The highpoint of the evening had to be having Tameka’s potential replacement Sabrina Gogan sit in for a few numbers. She sounded even better than at her audition!! She may be the one… 🙂 Rocco may hold off on the male vocal at this time…
Performance wise I thought everything felt great – very tight so all in all it was an OK evening… but those stairs… Nick was nice enough to help me load out my 2 big hardware cases…
January 15 – a post season holiday party for A+ Medi-Transport. A nice party and the banquet staff at the Fuller Road Fire Department couldn’t have been nicer. They were excited because in the 6 or 7 years that they’ve been running the hall we were the first band and at the end of the night they all wanted cards… 🙂
January 20 – 
tonight FE’s hosting a 70’s Party at Rascals… I’d reached out to Groove Champion – the former drummer and face of the band – but hadn’t heard anything… then late last night (OK – early this morning) something wakes me up… it’s louder than just the cat and I’m thinking someone’s broke into the house… I get up to find Groove… in my fridge!! (picture at right)
I KNEW that S-O-B had taken a key to my house!!
He’d have been playing with one arm tonight if he hadn’t put that turkey leg back in the fridge… he never changes… 🙂
We arrived at Crossgates Mall and Groove hits me up for $20 of course then immediately disappears into the mall leaving me to move everything and setup…
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There was something up when I made my way to the stage with my first load… a guy in the breaker boxes backstage and seeking assistance from someone on the phone… no one said anything to me so I continued moving in and setting up. When Madison from Live Sound Inc. arrived (our sound engineer for the evening) I soon learned that there was a power issue on stage that had taken down the entire PA and the giant LED panel that serves as an amazing backdrop. There was still power to the outlets and the stage lights so we had a chance… The first guy was soon joined by a second who muttered, “We’re f^$ked!!”
That didn’t fill me with confidence but the people at Live Sound came through as always and it wasn’t long before their guys wheeled in a whole PA system… the show was ON!!
I finished cleaning and tuning and Madison sound checked me then I set about the task of locating Groove as we only had about 30 minutes until showtime… he wandered in with about 10 minutes to spare (he’d taken in an early movie)… I got this shot of the two of use right before he went on…
He’s definitely a piece of work and there’s a hint of grey in all that hair and beard but the old guy can still lay it down and even though there weren’t too many others in the crowd that dressed for the party it was a great crowd and I think everyone enjoyed the throwback. I finished packing and loading out and almost forgot to come back in for Groove… who was sleeping in the dressing room of course… 🙂
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January 21 – the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline is back in action with an exhibition at the Shenendehowa indoor guard competition!! We were down several members due to college, flu, work, etc. but we pulled it together and had a great time to boot. Here’s the link to some YouTube video…
January 27 – FE returned to Centre Street Pub in Schenectady for a typically crazy night…
January 28 – the group finally made their debut at Ship’s Pub (rescheduled due to a storm)…
I was pretty sure from the pictures and location (inside a strip mall) that the band space would be pretty limited… it was. So glad I’d packed my Purecussion kit (see below) from back in the 80’s!! It didn’t save me a lot as far as load in but it did have a much smaller footprint than my show kit…
We were told we could setup at 7:00 but it was well after 8:00 before anyone started clearing and removing the tables where they put the bands… they didn’t seem to have any concerns about our starting on time but the smaller kit did cut down on my setup time just a little.
A good night considering we were playing in a phone booth!! 🙂
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February 1 – an important date in FE history…
We hadn’t made the official announcement yet but this was the day we began rehearsals with the new voice of Funk Evolution – Sabrina Gogan!!
We had met Sabrina a few years ago when we were performing and backing up contestants for a Platinum Voice competition at Vapor. She’s a very impressive vocalist and one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet!! She’s scheduled to make her debut the second week of April!!
On an unrelated note… At this same time The Rivers Casino has opened in Schenectady!! When I first heard this was on the horizon I was hopeful that it might be a nice venue to add to our rotation (like Vapor)…
February 10 – FE was scheduled to return to Rascals in Crossgates Mall but only days before the show we saw news reports and were later informed that the place had suddenly CLOSED!! We’ve heard a number of stories… bottom line is that one of if not THE nicest venue in the area (and one of my favorites to play of course) was now sadly gone.
February 18 – we’re scheduled to return to Centre Street Pub but again, a couple days before the gig we get word that they need to cancel us. They’re telling us there had been some ‘recent issues’ and they didn’t think they would have enough staff to handle a large crowd… I can understand their apprehension because the place is always a zoo when we play there…
February 25 – that means that for the first time since I’ve been associated with FE the band has had an entire month off!! That doesn’t mean I’m kicking back… tonight I headed to Mohonasen High School with the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline for an exhibition at an indoor color guard competition. The evening was especially fun since we had the full line together for the first time in a very long time AND even more fun because we were joined by Mohon’s drumline for a couple numbers!!! Here’s the video from AGAD at Mohon
March 4 – FE was honored to be hired for the second year in a row to perform at the SPAC Season Kick-off Gala at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga!! As always it was one classy, crazy party…
March 11 – the annual Winter Bash (formerly Bartender’s Bash) at Hunter Mountain. Even with the frigid cold and high gusty winds the place was still pretty crowed and no matter how many times I play there it still never ceases to amaze me how the giant throng of rude city people treat – not only me – but the Hunter staff… like we’re inconveniencing them by trying to do our jobs. BUT… after those people were long gone we had the most incredible party with a huge crowd of mixed kids and adults spanning several generations!! We played one extended set, stopped long enough for fireworks then went right back to it and these good folks partied right until the very end making the load-in very much worth it.
March 17 – FE made its debut at the new Philly 215 Lounge for their St. Patrick’s Day party… it’s essentially a two-story add-on to the original Philly Bar & Grill but they are trying to upscale it a bit… the room is beautiful BUT doubles as a restaurant which means no loading gear or setting up until the dinner patrons have left what doubles as a stage area. As always this is a ginormous pain because we can rarely be setup and start on time and if we do there are always sound issues we’re trying to fix on the fly which is never a good situation.
There’s far from enough parking… the load-in isn’t terrible but you do have to lift gear up a few stairs to get to ‘stage’ level… The DJ pounds the room during breaks to the point where your internal organs will hurt (I think his brother is at JJ Rafferty’s) – don’t bother trying to have a conversation… I guess we’re the ‘house band’ so we’ll see how it goes after the snow is gone… there are garage doors on the wall opposite the stage that go out onto a large patio so in warmer weather this might be a fun place though it was pretty crazy on this night…
I wore the only green I own – my Avant Garde Alumni Drumline jersey from the first year… and Rocco had the green lights on in the spirit of the holiday…
It started getting crazy before we ever played a note…
The audience was varied in age but very appreciative and everyone seemed to have a great time… I know the band felt pretty ‘on’ this night.
As we started packing up a couple guys approached the front of the stage to proclaim their appreciation for the FE rhythm section – particularly Josh and myself, “Without that bass and drums the band would be nothing!!” While I don’t necessarily agree with the sentiment I do appreciate that someone recognized what we try to do… Josh is an incredible bass player – very musical with a consistency that makes it easy for a drummer to get tight with… and one of the nicest guys you’ll every meet or play with!!
March 18 – FE returned to the Newberry Music Hall in Saratoga… tricky parking… long flight of stairs to navigate… and on this night (well, day) I arrived several hours before show time because Newberry’s house guy was on sound that night and they needed to get the drums sound checked before 5:00 because there’s a restaurant the next floor up and they get upset if there’s any noise during dinners. So I rolled in about 2:30, schlepped all my gear up the stairs and was setup, tuned, mic-ed and cabled (with all my own gear) before 4:00!! Then Mike (Newberry sound engineer) and I were able to spend the next 45 minutes dialing in my kit and storing it in the house mixing board. It sounded amazing and I couldn’t wait to play it… in another 5 hours… Thanks, Mike
A handful of people hung around after the comedy show and a few more wandered in during the first set but at peak I don’t think there were 20 people in the place. By the end of the first set there was an electricity in the air and the small crowd had warmed up to us and even stuck around for an extended second show. The band was really firing again and it felt great!!
March 24 – after a number of cancellations FE finally returned to Centre Street Pub but things feel different and the crowd was certainly off… it was still a good house and they partied right to the end but, in stark contrast to previous visits, once we were packed we were able to load right out the front door with hardly a person to navigate around. Somethings changed there so I’m anxious to see what the outdoor dates look like…
March 31 – I celebrated by 57th birthday (quietly this year) but with another FE show at Nanola the same as last year… nice crowd including some folks who have become regulars each time we’re there…
April 1 – the 2 hour trip to Hunter Mountain for the Vita Coco Water Beach Bash… due to the wind and blowing snow they thankfully had the God-given good sense to move us indoors this year and it turned into a great family party – kids and oldsters like me – all having a good time together!! It must have impressed the right people because we just got word that we’re booked there every 3 weeks starting the week before Christmas… I’m hoping for a better driving experience than this trip because, while I made it there through the tail end of a storm without incident, the same couldn’t be said for my trip home…
After getting over the mountains and dodging deer the entire way, I get almost to exit 14 on I-87 and BANG!! There’s a pickup truck is passing me in the 3rd lane… he’s about half-way past me when something must have come out of the median, made it past the truck but right into my driver-side lower bumper!! I slowed down and pulled off to see how bad it was… the van felt like it was driving fine and I could see no damage on the dark highway so I proceeded home. Once I arrived and had more light I could see that the bumper was disconnected from the side panel and there was about a 5 inch hole not totally punched out, some scratches but no sign of fur or blood… it was low and moving fast so I couldn’t imagine what I hit. It was definitely an animal because every time our dog goes out she spends a good amount of time sniffing all around the vehicle and in the daylight my daughter found a couple dark hairs. $1500 in estimated damage so it could have been worse and FE has a week off for me to get it in the shop…
A week later I’m driving home from another show – later at night and nobody around me this time – and I get to the exact same spot and this ‘mini-wolf’ (coy dog?) comes out of the median and runs right in front of me!! I was able to see it in time to slow down and avoid it this time but I had to think this was the same type if not the same animal I hit the week prior…
April 7 – Philly 215 and the much anticipated debut of FE’s new lead singer Sabrina Gogan… and despite pre-show jitters and butterflies, she absolutely killed it!! So good in fact that a prospective bride and groom booked us for their wedding that night!! Not bad for a first night…
The venue itself still suffers from an identity crisis… restaurant mode prevents us from getting in and setting up with enough time to make the sound right… doors that we were told to use for loading last time (and parked near) were off limits this time… and the DJ constantly thumps when the band isn’t playing so if you want to have a conversation you need to leave… and several people did…
April 8 – FE’s debut at Renaissance Hall in Schenectady… an overhauled church well off the beaten path… we’d heard the acoustics were, for want of a better term, ‘church like’ and the band the night before was so loud that people left in droves!! We’ve played some very ‘ambient’ rooms (Hall of Springs, 90 State, Key Hall, etc.) so we were anxious to see how we’d fare… turns out they moved us into the basement which had also been redecorated. This worked out very well and the small crowd seemed to really enjoy the band and Sabrina seemed to settle in on her second night which couldn’t have gone better… OH – and there’s a handicap elevator to get gear down… Thank you!! 🙂
On this night there are a couple things in my opinion working against us and the venue… for starters, word of the disastrous previous night was spreading like crazy (we heard about it DURING our Philly show the night before)… that had to scare some people off… there wasn’t much advertising (other than our own promotion) and the sign out front still showed the band from the night before right up until about 30 minutes before we started… and the venue itself takes no responsibility for the sound issues – ‘that’s the responsibility of the band or DJ’ (I heard a bartender repeatedly tell patrons at the bar the entire time I was setting up)…
This place is another where we’ll have to wait and see…
April 22 – after FE’s second to last free weekend of 2017 we returned to Renaissance Hall in Schenectady… It started off quieter than last time but a small crowd eventually arrived and a party erupted soon after!!
April 28 – we couldn’t wait to unveil Sabrina on our Nanola fans and she didn’t disappoint!! Super job!!
April 29 – a return to Centre Street and Sabrina’s debut there… it was too chilly to attempt the beer garden so the festivities were moved inside. And to make things more interesting, Rocco had left on a (much deserved) cruise early that morning so FE was on its own for the evening with the amazing Shaun Bazylewicz filling in on trombone and killing it!! And Sabrina was on fire on this night!! It was like a greatest hits show and she had the insane crowd eating out of her hand from the get go!! Unfortunately we have no pictures or video because we were all too busy having a great show… 🙂
May 6 – Funk Evolution was honored to be asked to perform at the Saratoga National Golf Course Derby Day Party!!
Would we stay dry??
Would Rocco make it back from his cruise in time??
Let’s see…
The weather had looked questionable at best all week with temperatures rarely approaching 60 and rain regularly in the forecast but as the day got closer they started talking sun and clouds and 70’s during the day and 50’s at night which was tolerable. I knew there couldn’t be a plan ‘B’ given the number of tickets we were hearing had been sold since there was no room inside with the capacity to hold it.
I arrived about 12:30 and it was shirt weather… partly sunny and maybe 70… nice!! But soon the wind picked up… it rained a little and quickly stopped and I heard that a tree had just come down at their #12 hole and was blocking the road so no one could get in!! The National staff quickly had it cut up and the road cleared… The wind continued to gust and I continued to setup (on the slanted stage – yes, we were on a hill) and wait for the main truck and the rest of the group while watching things get blown away or over, etc…
Rocco’s ship docked early and he was able to catch an earlier train but…
I sound checked then headed for the locker room to get my suit on then back to the van to drop off clothes and grab a bite…
Given my propensity for catching a nasty head cold if I expose my hairless dome to sub 60 degree temperatures, I broke out my Kangool cap in anticipation of cooler temps during the night – knowing it would fit right in amongst the other Derby chapeaus…
We were supposed to start at 6:00… then were told to wait until after the race – OK… 6:30?? The race isn’t scheduled to go off until 6:45 so I’m guessing closer to 7:00… No one seemed to notice as all the pre-race hype was being shown on a giant projection screen behind the pool, several large screen TVs at various locations all around and the audio was being pumped everywhere including our system just for good measure… BUT… we’re watching the radar and there’s rain out there… and the forecast radar has some heavy stuff predicted to hit us about 9:30… and we’re supposed to play until 10:00… even if they’re off a little we’re going to get hammered while packing…
Rocco made it with plenty of time to spare and spoke with the powers that be and everyone agreed that it would be prudent to start as soon as the race finished and play one non-stop show until about 8:45 thinking this would give us a window to pack and maybe load before the weather got ugly as well as an opportunity for the couple thousand people that were assembling to make it back to their vehicles – many of which were literally miles away!!
The race ended, we started playing and the dance floor PACKED!! This was going to be insane!! 2nd song, 3rd song, 4th song – it was like we could do no wrong… the place was really jumping!! Then… IT POURED!! Rocco had brought tarps just in case and scrambled to cover speakers and cases and the sound board while the rest of us finished the song… We took a short break to let the storm pass as the dancers had sought cover… we rearranged and assessed the damage and other than one bank of lights everything seemed fine. It took about 5 minutes for the storm to move through then we kicked it back into gear and before long everyone picked up right where they’d left off… it was a party again and an absolutely epic one as Rocco would say!!
It rained again briefly at about 8:30 and we announced our final song but the dancing faithful refused to leave… one encore… a second encore… then a THIRD!! It started to rain again and this time IT MEANT IT but we pulled out one more song and the place was going nuts in the rain. Several people stopped to say what a great time they had had then we set about shedding water and packing up…
Aside from a couple wet cases I came out of it pretty unscathed… until I started for the van and the sky opened up… THIS was the reason we planned to stop when we did and the timing was just about perfect… the majority of people had already returned to their cars and left and all our equipment was covered or packed in cases. I was soaked by the time I had the van loaded but it was truly an amazing evening and I know FE made a lot of new fans… THANK YOU!!
Next up an unplanned weekend off because Philly 215 ‘double booked’ and we’re always the nice guys who say ‘we’ll take it off’…
May 20 – FE’s first visit to Wolfert’s Roost for a wedding… I played a wedding here 20+ years ago and the place ‘hasn’t changed’… but it’s still a beautiful venue…
It was a great party!! We were setup with our backs to the main entrance way so everyone who entered the room got a backstage look at the band – especially my setup. One of the first people to greet me was a young man named Dominick who excitedly introduced himself and told me that he was a drummer like his Dad before him… he danced all night with a huge smile on his face!! Another woman stopped on her way in, admired the kit and told the gentleman with her, “See?? You don’t need double basses.” She also stopped on her way out to say she didn’t miss the double basses at all… 🙂
May 25 – the start of a combined (FE and AGAD) 13 performance run of outdoor shows… today was the alumni drumline in the cold, damp, rainy Saratoga Memorial Day Parade. There were a good number of people in their cars (and a few brave souls with umbrellas outside) once we got downtown but no one for the first half mile or so… and I never enjoy hiking back up the hill from Congress Park almost to Skidmore. On this night I couldn’t remember where I parked… picture an old guy in a rain poncho wearing a bass drum and walking around the back streets of northern Saratoga Springs with his car remote in the air hoping to hear a horn off in the distance… I did eventually find it… just before dark… Would the weather be any better for the next one??
May 26 – Funk Evolution opens the On Tap Sports Bar B95 and Big Crunch Media Summer Patio Concert Series… it rained all day and just before lunch we got word that it had been moved into the Gazebo Room and the start time was a half hour earlier than what we were originally told so it was an even earlier night – 5:30 – 7:30… but we were inside which was good. We didn’t know if anyone would show but they said they had received a ton of phone calls and the crowd was very nice.
In a bizarre twist trumpet Mikey D had tickets to a Cake concert long before this was booked so former FE trumpeter ‘Izzy’ was set to fill in but he didn’t know it was that early (works until 7:00) so we called another former trumpeter – ‘Thrice-As-Nice’ Chris Mattice but he unfortunately sliced a few fingers earlier in the week so we were thrilled to be able to get a last minute fill-in from our good friend and trombonist Shaun from ‘Moe’ and ‘Conehead Buddha’. A good time was had by all… we made some new fans and may have even landed a huuuuuge private party for the State Police in November… stay tuned.
May 29 – an alumni drumline double header!! Once again, as in Saratoga a few days prior, it was rainy but just a tad warmer so we opted for shorts… and jackets… and rain ponchos… BUT this was overshadowed by the fact that we were marching the total membership for both parades!!
We kicked off with the Lansingburgh Memorial Day Parade at 11:00 and were greeted by a large, enthusiastic crowd – despite the weather. As we finished and were hustling back to our vehicles – now totally drenched – the radar looked like we might get a break for the afternoon parade in Wynantskill… no such luck. It pissed down rain the entire time!! The crowd however was almost double what we remember from last year and the weather was beautiful that day so go figure. When it was all done we were wet and smelly but had made a lot of new fans and had a great time in the process!!
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June 1 – The beginning of a 4-shows-in-3-days run and today Funk Evolution had the honor of opening the first ever outdoor concert series at the Rivers Casino in Schenectady, NY – ‘Rush To the River’.
It was a beautiful, warm spring day and I even managed to take some sun as there was no coverage at all – just a stage in an elongated area between two sections of the building – all stone and glass – that created a natural wind tunnel coming off the river… and I’m sure it’s going to make the volume borderline unbearable but we’ll see. And the sun beat down on us and was in our eyes the entire time – right up until it set behind the trees across the river.
That wind never let up and we thought for sure all the drapery they had hung around and behind us was going down for sure but it held up. We’d heard that there were over 400 RSVPs for the event but I doubt there was over a hundred people there and they were waaaaaay down at the other end… near the river… and the bar… and the food… well, that’s where all the tables were… and maybe it wasn’t as loud back there… By the end of the night people started making their way closer and dancing and interacting with us and everyone was very complementary on their way out but all-in-all, I think this is just a poor setup. The management that was on hand was disappointed to learn that this was our only scheduled appearance so we must have done something right… 🙂 Now home and a little sleep because the next few days are going to be crazy…
June 2 – I managed to drag my sorry ass out of bed and into work after the casino concert last night for what would be a 43 hour stretch without sleep!! After working a full shift and then some I headed for Saratoga and the beginning of our 2017 residency on the ‘deck that FE built’ as we like to call it – Dango’s on Caroline. We’d heard that they were making some much needed renovations when I arrived and made my way past several overflowing, wreaking garbage cans it looked like nothing had changed but then I saw a new stage… angled a little different and a bit bigger – that would be a welcome change.
I packed my gear, schlepped everything back up the stairs to the parking lot and headed home for a quick shower, a change of clothes and to wake up my girls who were going with me the next morning…
June 3 – 6:00am and I pull up in front of the park below the State Capitol building in Albany, NY where the stage is set for the 39th Annual Freifoffer’s Run for Women… There’s always security and usually I can drive into the stage area and unload… but not today… The grey-shirted security guard (OK, over-officious cop wannabe) at that entrance tells me I have to go see the other yellow jacket security people – he won’t even let me unload my gear!! I find the group of yellow-jacket security people, tell them I’m with the band and need to unload and they tell me I should have pulled in back where I just was… They ride up to check and come back with news that I’ll have to park on the street and carry everything up the hill from there BUT I can’t move anything until the State Troopers and their search dogs arrive in another hour or so… THAT will put me behind.
Thankfully I have my window pass for parking and my badge for entry so I take my chances and start carting everything up the hill and into the park and no one said a word other than ‘the dog can’t go in’ (same guy – who was later set straight by the State Troopers) so I’m on my own horsing gear up the stairs to the stage… 🙁
I get everything in without issue… While I’m moving on to the stage the canine unit comes by and checks my other cases then I finished setting up and sound checked the drums and was ready to rock by 7:30… for a 9:20 start… but I was parked and in for the day. The girls had to wander the outskirts, had some breakfast back at the van and called to say that they might be able to go in after the race starts… I went out and met them and we went to one of the lower entrances where a Trooper acknowledged Ellie’s service dog tags, and let everyone in with me – thank you.
After that the day went as expected… 4000+ runners… we play for a little while, stop so they can present awards for an hour or so, play a little more, some more awards, a couple more songs and the day is done. I pack up and roll everything down the hill to the van – this time with my daughter’s help though – and we’re on the road in time to stop and grab a bite on the way home.
I dropped the girls off, changed clothes again and headed for the night show – the first ever Summer Festival at Blind Buck Valley Farmstead in Salem, NY… a fundraiser for various veteran’s groups.
We were literally out in the middle of a field…
Nicest group of people and the Salem Fire Department running the grill…
There weren’t a lot of people and we weren’t sure word had gotten out but the stage was set and ‘Bear’ had a super PA setup and cranking so I was ready to play…
OH – and at this point I’ve been up for 30+ hours and am still raring to go… just saying…
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Next up, 5 gigs in 4 days…
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June 8 – My Mom’s 85th birthday and I’m celebrating with a full day at work followed by an AGAD gig at the Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade…
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June 9 – FE returned to the deck at Dango’s on Caroline Street…
June 10 – a double!! AGAD made their annual appearance in the Saratoga Flag Day Parade then I was off to Firestone 151 with FE…
As I approached Firestone I saw construction cones and barricades… Hmmmm… I headed around the block and ran into still more road closures but I could see the entire block that goes past the venue and part of the next block was closed… it looked like an old time soap box derby race… odd… I found an open alley, maneuvered around some barricades in front of a side parking lot and made my way in… Yep…
Even more interesting was the amount of drunk patrons at the rail (where we had to setup of course) betting on each race!!
Schenectady City PD was patrolling the intersection, saw me unloading and invited me to pull up right by the deck which was nice of them (even though I was finished at that point)… 🙂
The races ended and the streets eventually opened and we setup to play on a picture perfect evening to be on a patio under the stars…
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June 11 – AGAD returns to Troy for the largest Flag Day Parade in the country and may sadly be the last as the city of Troy is a hot mess – crying poverty then finding odd stashes of surplus cash that get diverted to other projects… the owner of Franklin Plaza – a high-end banquet facility in downtown – stepped up and got other businesses to chip in and the parade survived for one more year… thank you!!
The parade has a long history and part of that history is it being incredibly and unbearably hot year after year… Last year was a welcome exception (as the parade is almost 3 miles long start to finish) – cloudy with temperatures only in the low 70’s… This year Mother Nature was back to her old ways… it was over 90 and not a cloud in the sky as we unloaded and sun screened up as we would surely fry today!!
We had a willing volunteer who pulled a wagon with a big cooler full of bottled water and it was a good thing because we went through it like crazy… I personally drank 2 after drinking and wearing mine… this was the hottest I’ve ever seen in it!! We were wilting way before the half way mark and by the 3/4 point everyone was showing various signs of wear… I was getting a little shaky and wondered if I would make it to the end…
This was a rough one but I’m proud to say that the entire line – myself included – made it to the end… Our reward for such a feat?? When we lined up in front of the reviewing stand (at the very end) you can hear one of the dignitaries on the stand… in the shade… with a fan… tell us to ‘make it quick’… You’re welcome… Sorry he had to sit in the hot shade for a little while but those reviewing stand stops by groups ahead of us are the only breaks marchers get along the route… we didn’t mean to inconvenience him by not passing out… 🙂
5 gigs in 4 days on top of another 40+ hour work week… NEXT!!
June 16 – FE heads back to Philly 215… our first visit in summer like weather so we were curious to see how they would work it…
They have a huge, beautiful patio and raised stage and it was overflowing when I arrived to setup… this should be a great night!!
I went in to check where we usually play and there were only a handful of people in the room and the space where they put the band was unoccupied… YAY!! I can actually get in and setup without waiting until the last minute because people have been seated and are eating there…
I found the ‘boss’ to check in and was told we were inside but it was going to be a while because the patio was packed… During the winter we couldn’t use the side door that goes right into the room because it let too much cold air in so we had to cart everything from the other side and through the patio… now it’s warm, the room as practically empty and they still want us to go through the patio?? Maybe it was because they hadn’t made any effort to clear the stage… We played nice a few weeks earlier when they ‘double booked’ us and Skeeter Creek and we told them that was no problem…
After an hour or so we eventually were allowed in the side door and they started clearing the stage… I later learned that prior to making all these major improvements to the facility they never checked the local codes to find out they can’t have entertainment on their fancy patio… and even though the big new room they built has giant glass garage doors that open up on the patio they can’t open them… too much noise… It makes sense to me… standing outside and looking around I see housing developments, motels and apartments – what do you think the noise ordinances are?? 🙂
We played to what amounted to a handful of people all night because no one wanted to leave the patio on one of the few nice evenings we’ve had in a long time…
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June 17 – my first visit to the stunning Franklin Plaza in Troy since back in the 90’s with the Upstarts band… a converted bank where they still have the original vault that they use for a coat room (so naturally I thought the gold tie would be appropriate)… the place is absolutely gorgeous!! AND they have to be some of the nicest people I’ve met in a very long time and from top to bottom!!
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They’ve renovated the second floor which is where they held the cocktail hour…
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AND have added a roof-top area where Rocco DJ’d the after party!! Here’s a panoramic shot Sabrina took at sunset…
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June 22 – one of my favorite things to play is an outdoor summer concert. FE has 3 on the schedule this year – Wildwood Crest, NJ in July, Freedom Park in Scotia in August and we kicked things off in Cohoes tonight. Looking at the schedule we’re in some big company and for whatever reason I felt like I wanted to go in, kick ass and make them wonder why they hadn’t invited us before now…
I hadn’t played here since they built the stage behind the fountain but have seen a number of concerts here… a couple things have changed over the years… they block off the street facing the stage now and there are food and beer vendors which contributed to a certain level of drunken rowdy-ness and may have played into a more recent change… In the contract it states clearly 3 or 4 times ‘Do not go in the fountain.’ ‘Do not go in the fountain.’ ‘Do not go in the fountain.’… A couple weeks ago our friends Skeeter Creek opened the series and we’re told that during the second song their lead singer was in the fountain and invited everyone to join him so when we arrived to it was dry as a bone.
We had a great time with an incredibly enthusiastic and appreciative crowd and hope to go back soon!!
June 23 – FE is once again honored to be the entertainment for the American Cancer Society’s Red, White and Blue Party at Saratoga National!! They usually have this event outside on the surrounding deck and a huge tent but this year the weather wasn’t cooperating… it was hot and unreasonably humid and in the days just prior to the event there was no relief in sight AND the consistent threat of violent thunderstorms so in the 12th hour the decision was made to move it inside. It was a very wise choice but as big as the venue is it was impossible to get everyone into National’s ballroom and people were scattered in side rooms and lobbies and outside when the weather would allow. Cramped though it was, it was still a fabulous event and raised well over $15,000!!
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But hold on… there was a personal, more selfish reason we were glad they relocated to the ballroom…
June 24 – today FE returned to Saratoga National for a wedding… the night before we played the ACS fundraiser that had been moved to the same ballroom due to weather but of course the band is on the opposite side of the room… No problem… At the end of the night the National staff and FE moved tables, cleared decorations and moved the band piecemeal from one side of the room to the other and with that the band was setup well in advance for todays wedding!! Here’s the relocated setup… notice the darkness outside… Yes – I was setup a full 18+ hours early AND was able to arrive at the venue (slightly) later than usual AND in proper wedding attire!! 🙂
Here’s the afternoon shot…
And they couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day…
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June 30 – finally – FE returns to Centre Street Pub to play the amazing outdoor Beer Garden!! We missed this last year because by the time the venue got around to asking for dates our calendar was already full.
It’s always a great time out there but, as has been the case for much of this year, Mother Nature may throw a wrench in the plan… We have storms all around and a very strong one that caused me to leave school later than anticipated but it cleared out and I was fortunate enough to find a parking spot shortly after I arrived… now to settle on where to play… Inside?? Tight, cramped, no AC and everything gets soaked by beverages… Outside?? Well the radar shows another small band of storms headed this way… On the stage?? No cover whatsoever… Under their tent?? Ground level, hard for people to see anything, and any rain that came through would run along the blacktop and anything on the ground would get soaked… Let’s watch this radar for a bit…
Rocco and I agreed that after this batch it looked like we’d be in the clear… we looked at the tent and ultimately decided to roll the dice on the stage. I spent 20 minutes sweeping water off it and Rocco had a large outdoor area rug that covered much of the stage then I threw down my old one and started setting up.
It felt as if as soon as the storm passed and the sun came back out the temperature and especially the humidity shot way up… I was wringing wet from head to toe by the time I finished setting up and before I’d ever played a note!! It was that wet and sticky!! The paper our set lists were printed on were literally disintegrating if we tried to touch them!!
But it turned out to be a beautiful evening and one hell of a party!! Not a drop of rain – just the occasional trickle of water from the ivy covered wall and the relentless humidity… and everything got soaked!! Sometimes you just can’t win… 🙂
Here’s a clip of a little Bon Jovi accompanied by the Canadian Pacific horns…
July 1 – FE is once again honored to be the chosen entertainment for the Lake George Club’s Members Only Party!!
We’re inside but the day wasn’t without its challenges as several very severe storms ripped through the area… I went up earlier than normal (4 hours early) – partly to try to get loaded in between storms but also to try to wipe off the after effects of Centre Street from the night before…
I’d just gotten everything unloaded and moved in when… what is that sound?? I look out on the deck and it’s POURING!! I still need to move my vehicle but as long as no one’s here I’ll wait this out…
It only lasted about 5 minutes then I hopped in the van to head for the designated parking area… was that thunder?!? I no sooner pulled into the upper parking lot and the skies opened up yet again!! I sat tight and waited this out too – about 10 minutes – then started unpacking and setting up…
I was disappointed to discover that my microfiber cloths were all shot!! They just smeared the fingerprints around… UGH!! So I did the best I could by using the quilted bags that protect my hardware in their cases as makeshift cleaning cloths… and it was starting to feel sticky again just as the night before… and it got dark… and I could hear storms all around but I was in. Rocco arrived just as another storm was winding down so I helped him roll all our lights and sound gear in before the round of storms fired up then I finished setting up. I don’t know if it was the heat, moisture, old wood room or maybe after 40+ years I’m starting to figure out this tuning thing but the drums – particularly the toms – sounded big and full and that always makes me look that much more forward to playing.
As I was getting dressed I received a panic-stricken phone call from my wife in the midst of our daughter’s birthday party – our area was under a Tornado WARNING and she’d just got an alert saying to take shelter immediately!! We live near the mountains so tornados have never been an issue but we also have never seen this alert and don’t have a basement. Fortunately our neighbor invited my wife and daughter and all her birthday party guests to their basement until everything blew over (so to speak). Thank you!! And thankfully we dodged any damage this time (unlike the hurricane from a few years back) and everyone went back home and picked up the party as did I.
The rest of the band arrived – each telling tales of the worst weather they’ve ever driven in to get there… The weather cleared and it turned into a spectacular afternoon and evening on Lake George.
It was shaping up to be an absolutely epic party… people were on the dance floor from the first song!! We finished our mini set and took 10 minutes to gear up for the actual party portion of the party. We came back and let it rip from the word go!! Everyone was dancing (one guy in particular) and the band was clicking… for a little more than an hour everything felt great!! We had just taken it up another notch when mid-tune Rocco cuts everything… As we stopped I heard a chair go over, then a man’s voice saying ‘I’m alright’, another louder crash then a woman’s voice imploring someone to call 911!! The man who was dancing and dancing hard had collapsed, gotten up and fallen sideways where he cracked his head open on a table, then gotten up again only to fall backwards and really smash his head even harder this time!! An ambulance was called and there were a number of doctors in attendance who checked him out… After about an hour he was taken to the hospital by which time most of the guest had left and the party was over. We’re waiting word on his condition… everyone – band and guests – was sad to have it end like that and a number of guests did stop on their way out to say how much they enjoyed us.
As for the weather, I found this picture the next day… this is about a mile and change from my home… if you’re familiar with the Queensbury area, this was taken while waiting for the light at Route 9 heading west on Quaker Road – looking over the Toys R Us… They said there were 6 or more tornados in the area but none of them were (thankfully) able to fully develop and touch down… still a scary situation…
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July 7 – another amazing wedding at Settles Hills in Altamont… I hope to have some pictures soon…
July 8 – FE is honored to have been selected as the headliner for the Athens Street Festival. I played this back in 2012 with Skeeter Creek AND the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline (It’s a fun story you can find back in my 2012 notes)…
The thing I remembered most was the parking or lack thereof so I wondered if I’d be able to get near the stage if nothing had changed since 2012… it had – it was worse!! Partly because of a quick storm the blew through turning the area surrounding the stage into a mud pit and partly because there just isn’t any room. They did have golf carts to shuttle gear in and out and I was able to park on a nearby, blocked off side street which worked out fine but you really needed to watch your step around the stage or you’d be on your ass in the mud!!
I stuck to the wet grass and was able to use sound company’s now empty trailer for pre-staging my kit and setup out of the elements which was a good thing because one more quick rain shower had to go through… It wasn’t long before I was mounting my mics, moved the stealth racks to the grass near the stage and was ready for the 30 minute band changeover which is actually more like 15 minutes to setup after the band ahead of you exits. With the help of Justin and Josh I was able to get everything – cases and all – relocated to the stage in minutes… 15 minutes to be exact and I was fully setup!! A quick sound check and we lit into our 90 minute set.
The crowd was great!! The weather was perfect!! And our good friend Gino Nistico from Playback Rocks was on hand… he had come to see all the bands he knew but ended up serving as stage manager for the most part – he was a tremendous help with the load-in and organization and a couple times during the set he followed through on his promise to crash the stage and play some cowbell… what a great time!! He also snagged the pictures above and this video…
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When it was all done, we had made some great new fans and I started packing up – hoping to somehow make it before the fireworks ended and the road out of town got backed up… It went quickly and Gino had TWO golf carts ready to go and I started down the 5 steps off the stage and with my first step slipped, went totally airborne and fell flat on my back at the bottom of the stairs!! I must have blacked out briefly because the next thing I remember is opening my eyes to the unmistakable face of Gino telling me to stay put and not move… I eventually convinced him to help me up and they got me and my gear back to the van and loaded.
Check this picture out… that’s the back of my shirt… my tail bone took the brunt of the fall on the bottom step (below my shirt) and I must have fallen a little to my right… those angled lines are the imprint of each step at an angle… 🙂
Driving home that night I was a little nauseous and was afraid I might have been getting a little shock-y… I did have to pull off at a rest area once but I was feeling better after a while – though 90+ minutes of driving didn’t help my back…
The day after I was a hurting unit and had trouble finding a comfortable position to sit or lay…
I was pretty swollen at the impact points… the tail bone which took the brunt of the fall and also caught the back of both wrists (maybe I tried to brace myself for the fall), then in the back sort of below the right rib cage and one more under my left shoulder blade which also caught the back of my arm above my elbow. Thankfully I didn’t catch the back of my head. I did twist my left knee when I went down but I’ve sprained both knees playing ball a number of times and there’s no swelling as in the past so I’m thinking it’s just tweaked… I had an annual doctors appointment already scheduled for a couple days after so I just stuck it out until then.
July 14 – FE makes its annual trip down the Hudson on the Captain JP… a small but well-dressed crowd as they say as the cruise was well short of selling out – perhaps because of the storm threat which seems to happen every time we play there… But those in attendance had a great time and we made a lot of new fans and friends.
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July 15 – the performance I’d been looking forward to since we announced it over the winter as FE made it’s debut on the stage at Centennial Park in Wildwood Crest, NJ!! What a road trip!!
The band had talked about renting some sort of bus or something that could accommodate us all and our families and friends that wanted to make the trip and all of the equipment of course but some members were going to stay for a day or two while others wanted (or needed in the case of Mikey D and his baby due any day) to head right back so in the end everyone was on their own…
In making my plans for this one I talked to several people who know Jersey – especially my good friend Tom (from Voyager and golf) who had lived and played down there and he said there was no good way to get there – especially during peak tourist season which was when we were hitting there… traffic from NYC on one route, Philly on the other… he recommended going down the night before which is what I originally planned to do BUT… FE was booked the night before – originally at Dango’s but the turned into a Captain JP cruise… did I still want to pack up from the cruise then immediately make the 4 1/2 hour drive to Wildwood Crest?? I’d spoke to some other people who assured me that the traffic wouldn’t be that bad on a Saturday as people generally don’t come into town then – they’re already there from the night before… And the JP cruise meant I’d be on the road earlier so that, combined with my back and knee still healing from Athens, helped make the decision to go home and get a few hours sleep even though that meant adding another hour to the trip.
I ‘slept in’ until about 7:00am, shit, shaved, showered and packed breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks (and another breakfast just in case – I had packed my wardrobe – enough for 3 or 4 days – the day before)… topped of my fuel and hit the road around 8:00am.
The trip down was thankfully uneventful… it rained until I got below Kingston, NY – then cleared up… traffic was fine until I hit the Garden State Parkway and several high volume areas that turned an already long drive into a marathon!! Yeah – night before probably would have been better… And a little more than an hour from my destination a heavy rain hit!! I drove in that for 10 minutes or so then that cleared as well and I eventually arrived at the beautiful Centennial Park about 2:30 on an absolutely gorgeous summer day!!
I maneuvered my vehicle behind the stage as instructed by the promoter… I knew Rocco was only an hour or so behind me and there were some dark clouds off in the distance though the forecast was for clear weather… I didn’t have my bearings yet and wasn’t sure if that was what I’d driven through earlier or something else so I decided to have a late lunch and relax for a bit…
I rolled my gear up the back ramps and began setting up… Rocco arrived after a while with his wife Aimee, Aaron Currado who was running sound for us and our good friend Matt Vischer a.k.a ‘The Weatherman’ from a stint on TV doing just that…
I had my bass drum positioned and had just finished assembling my Stealth rack when Matt tells us we have about 10 minutes and things are going to ‘get crazy’!! What?!? Yep – those dark clouds are heading our way!! It seemed like only minutes and it started raining… hard… and blowing!! Rocco tossed me a tarp as he and Aaron were getting bags over the 14 speakers we had out for the show… I was trying to get as much tarp coverage as possible but it started raining and blowing so hard that I just got it over the front and pulled the rest over my head to give me a little shelter as well but heard one of our front speakers blow over and hit the concrete just prior to going into hiding…
There was water pouring off the tarp and running down my back… my clothes were soaked as were my rug, stick bag and throne and it was still intensifying!! It sounded like someone throwing rocks at the tarp!! After about 10 insane minutes I could hear them saying it was over and even saw the sun shining on the ground… then why was it still raining on me?? Turns out that decorative cover over the stage was NOT waterproof!! It was like sitting under a Brita filter and I emerged from the tarp to find water cascading all over my other drums (in cases) and electronics cases!! Well this is why I spent the money on good cases and it paid off – everything was bone dry and the water rolled right off the cases… a few minutes in the sun and they were good as new!! My rug and stick bag on the other hand are still drying out in the sun the day after… Luckily I had fresh sticks in the van and always carry a spare rug…
We set about the task of drying everything off and finished setting up as the rest of the group began to arrive though we weren’t sure how the electronics would respond to their sudden soaking… The venue blocked off several parking spaces around the park and issued us all parking passes for our vehicles… We sound checked and all the gear seemed to have weathered he storm and the park was already starting to fill up.
I retreated to the van for dry clothes… After I changed I pulled out my concert chair and ate a lite supper while enjoying the evening and the ocean view and marveled at the several hundred people I would soon be performing for – that’s worth the trip to anywhere!!
As I was going through my pre-show routine – warming up and stretching – I wondered how we would be received… They usually have various tribute bands… and the press leading up to our performance listed us as an ‘oldies’ band… We’d soon find out…
By the end of the first song there were people dancing everywhere – even on the balconies of the hotels across the street from the park!!
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As day turned into night the applause and cheers grew even louder!!
We had a total blast!! The audience was off the charts and FE had its first (and unplanned) meet-and-greet after the show!! One young kid stopped to tell us how much he liked the band and would be listening to more of our ‘older’ music… Another guy was working his way through the band looking for me… he told me how he has drums in his basement and plays around with them… he and his wife stay in one of the condos across from the park and they usually listen from their balcony but when he heard me playing he told her he had to go down to the park!! AND he had to have a selfie with me!! I am so humbled and lucky to be able to do what I do and at this level and be able to touch people in some way…
When it was all over we’d made a ton of new fans, landed a couple high-end weddings but more importantly were already invited back next year!! I guess we did alright… 🙂
As for the weather anomaly… that might have been part of some water spout or something that was near Florida but suddenly made its way up the coast much to everyone’s surprise…
As for the return trip… it was 11:00pm when I finished loading and headed for home… I was struggling to stay awake as I approached the NY border and pulled into the first rest area I cam to for a little nap… it was a beautiful night… I had the windows down and a little Dave Grusin playing… I just started nodding off when my phone goes off!! Yep – my wife has the most perfect timing… just checking on me… I had to tell her that I had just fallen asleep but was back on the road now… 🙂 I arrived home at about 5:30 the following morning… 6 1/2 hours down (with traffic) and 6 1/2 hours back (with almost a nap)… I’m ready to do it again!!
July 21 – FE had the honor of playing another wedding – this time back at the Inn at Erlowest. It’s a truly beautiful facility but we’ve yet to play there where the serving of the guest’s dinners didn’t put everything waaaay behind schedule. And I got to break in some of my new clothes… love the vest… 🙂
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July 28 – the first of 10 outdoor performances in a row as FE picks up its summer residency at Dango’s on Caroline Street – right where we left off back in June… a rockin’ band performance and crazy crowd that included members of the New York Players and the Accents!!
Jay is testing out a wireless guitar rig which allowed he and Sabrina to venture out into the audience…
And we’ll be holding our breath for 9 more shows weather-wise as it’s been crazy and unpredictable but other than being a little chilly it was a nice night…
July 29 – Finally a night at Centre Street where we didn’t have to fret about the weather and whether to be inside or out… a beautiful day turned into a beautiful night but only in he upper 50’s by the time we finished…
The evening wasn’t without issues… from the 2nd set on we started tripping the breakers and no one could figure out why even though everything is supposed to be on separate circuits…
August 2 – a last minute call to play the famous Siro’s – right behind Saratoga Race Track – on a Wednesday night… so last minute in fact that the deal wasn’t finalized until the day before… so last minute that we had to do it with no trumpet (Mikey D’s birthday) and all his lead and backup vocals…
When I pulled in the parking lot attendant directed me around the back to some open spots (I chose to park a few spaces away from the dumpsters in hopes of avoiding Jay’s previous fate of)… 20 feet later I was on blacktop, maneuvered around all the garbage cans and up the ramp to the stage – not a bad load-in at all… now I just had to decide whether that distant thunder meant business or not… the radar didn’t indicate anything major but something was heading our way… After about 15 minutes of nothing I started unpacking… a short time later I could hear rain hitting the roof and the ground in front of the stage and see where the drops hit… and that was it!! It never even covered the ground!! It wasn’t long before the sun was out and the skies cleared and I went ahead and finished my usual setup.
Someone came by and told me we’d be playing one set from 6:30 – 8:30 (we were scheduled to play 6:00 – 9:00)… I told him I was fine with no break and he replied ‘whatever – as long as it’s quiet. You guys are the loudest band in the history of the world.’
‘Moon’, the house sound guy arrived later, eyeballed my kit and I gave him the lowdown on instrumentation and mic needs and he informed me that they usually only mic the kick and use an overhead and with that I packed my mics and cables…
We were told to be ready for a sound check at 5:00 but it was only Nick and I at 5:00 so forget that… we did a quick check sometime after 6:00 and no one seemed too startled…
6:30 rolled around and there still weren’t a lot of people… we kicked into our set and people just stood and stared… maybe the sound wasn’t reaching them… after all, they were a good 50-100 feet from the stage… I don’t remember hearing any applause for the first 30 minutes or so… one couple DID dance… around 7:30…
By 7:45 the place had pretty much emptied and the boss came by and told us to call it a night. I figured that would be the end of it and hoped we’d at least get some pay… but they were THRILLED!! They loved the material and the volume and the whole vibe!! They kept telling us it couldn’t have gone smoother and apologized for not getting it organized sooner… even said they would definitely see us again – if not this year, next year for sure…
August 4 – the nasty weather went around Saratoga for a change (outdoor show #4 out of 11 straight with the late addition of Siro’s this week) and we had one of the best crowds at Dango’s this year!! Not just the shear numbers but these people came to party and were very appreciative of anything and everything we did!! And the band was really clicking and that makes for a great night all around!!
August 5 – (outdoor show #5 of 11 in a row)… The Lake George Festival For the Lake…
A little heavy rain in the morning then the skies cleared and it got warm again – especially pre-staging my gear in the sun – but it was an absolutely gorgeous day.
Luck was with me this day as I was able to maneuver into Shepard Park and right into a parking spot on ‘stage row’. Dashboard Anthem was just finishing their setup so I surveyed the situation to plan my load-in and preshow setup… ran into a couple a guys who looked familiar, introduced myself and I was right – they were the drummer and percussionist from Chicago Total Access – the band that was on after FE. We chatted for a while then DA started playing and we all went out front… they OPENED with a Rush song and nailed it!! Then came Styx, Journey, Eagles, Cheap Trick, REO Speedwagon, etc… real dashboard anthems as their name implied and they nailed every one of them!! The CTA guys and I were left shaking our heads in amazement… AND it made for a super mix of background music while I loaded in and preset my gear behind the stage… 🙂
DA closed out their set and started moving their gear out and the stage manager helped me get settled in and FE was ready to go. There was no drum check… no sound check… no monitor check… my Roland pad was no where to be found in the mix – front or monitor… great… vocals were missing from my monitor… just about everything was missing from my monitor… I don’t know what anyone else was hearing on stage but I hope it sounded decent in the front… really poorly managed in my opinion…
When it was all done FE had blown the roof off the place with a killer set even though we fumbled our way through parts of it because of skipped and added songs, the pad being out of the equation and jumping around the list… it hurt the flow a little but we got through it.
The CTA guys were all stopping by – telling me I’d killed it which made me feel good… As I scrambled to get my gear out of their way I managed to tackle Justin and con him into helping me to just get it all off stage.
As I was packing up several people stopped by to say how much they enjoyed my playing and the band’s performance including a gentleman from Albany – also a drummer… the drummer from Sabrina’s former band… and the father of the bride from the wedding we did at Erlowest a year or so back where he’d bought a set of candy apple red double base Pearl drums and had them setup to surprise his daughter by playing a couple tunes with us at the reception (the only thing she wanted on her wedding day)… It was great to actually get to meet and talk to people for a change… usually I’m tearing down and no one can get to me…
Then came Chicago Total Access… mostly comprised of older guys and they’re playing Chicago the way Chicago plays it today – a little slower and more laid back. They sounded great and it made for a nice end to a beautiful day.
Anyone in the park on this day was treated to one of the best days of music that place has seen in a very long time – and I mean going back to the days when I grew up in Lake George back in the 70’s and 80’s even and everything in between… on this day all the bands were on fire!!
August 11 – (outdoor show #6 of 11 in a row)… another Friday night at Dango’s… 
All week long the weather men have been saying Friday would be nice but Saturday would be a washout… they were wrong on both counts… surprise!!
As it got later into the afternoon there were more and more storms popping up and I thought for sure we’d be cancelled but the show went on as planned and, with the exception of one rain shower that blew through during the first set, the night was dry but NOT uneventful…
Check out the video at left (sorry – it’s from Facebook) of Sabrina backed up by hundreds of Dango’s faithful singing 4 Non Blondes!!
August 12 – (outdoor show #7 of 11 in a row)… one of our favorite performances each year – the summer concert series at Freedom Park in Scotia, NY!! The weathermen were predicting rain all week – right up until that morning when they said it should clear out by evening. We checked with the venue the concert goes rain or shine unless there’s dangerous weather in the area…
I’d been watching the radar most of the afternoon and when I arrived at the stage around 4:00 the sun was still out and there were chairs and people already in the park but the skies were getting black in a hurry… then came the severe storm warnings followed by the lightning and thunder and a torrential downpour so I decided to wait this one out in the van rather than unload and start setting up…
After about an hour things started to settle down again so I began to load in and my phone lit up with that screechy weather alert – another severe storm warning!! I’d have about 30 minutes but I’d still be on the open stage though it’s pretty well covered… would it be enough??
As the rest of the band rolled in and it was getting black again – bolts of lightning flashing all around and some impressive claps of thunder!! More torrential rain… another weather alert… and the concert is still on – the faithful few still camped UNDER THE TREES around the park!! What constitutes ‘dangerous weather’ around here?!? We’ve had everything but hail and locusts… maybe giant frogs falling from the sky??
I finished setting up… the sound company only mics the kick and snare (from a distance) and throws up a couple overheads and that’s it…
It was show time – 7:00pm… the storms were lingering but moving out of the area… it was still raining but not as hard… We held off for about 10 minutes then launched into our set without a sound check then more and more people began to arrive. They must have been sitting in their cars at Jumpin’ Jacks waiting to see if we were going to play and play we did!! After all this these people deserved everything we could give them!!
Everyone said it sounded great out front so it may have just been my proximity to everyone… no sound check… no stage monitor back where I was so I struggled to hear anything all night… the perils of working with third party sound companies and being at the mercy of Mother Nature on the same night…
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We did have a special guest on this evening… we asked our good friend Gini Nistico to sit in with us!! Gino’s the drummer with a group called Playback Rocks!! I first met Gino a couple years ago when he and his significant other introduced themselves at Nanola one night… they became fans that night and we’ve stayed in touch via social media (this is the same Gino that scraped my busted ass off the steps of the stage in Athens a few weeks ago)…
This gave me the chance to go out front and check out the sound…
I wandered behind the areas were people were sitting to get an idea of what they were hearing… From the side everything was muddy and muffled and pretty quiet… more in the middle I could hear a decent sounding kick drum but the vocals and horns were very thin and tinny… I could see Gino hitting things but there was nothing in the mix other than the kick…
We finished up the night to a small but appreciative audience and I packed and loaded out… at least the rain cut down on the usually swarming tiny insects that inhabit the area… 🙂
Driving home I could still see lightning in the skies off to the east… what a night.
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August 17 – (outdoor show #8 of 11 in a row)… a rare Thursday night appearance at Dango’s… started slow but turned into a crazy party… and it was dry!!
The clip at right (sorry – it’s from Facebook) is one of several songs we added especially for summer crowds like this…
This setup another rare occurrence – an FE weekend off!! We’re taking the time off to celebrate the wedding of FE original member and saxophonist Justin Godlewski and his beautiful bride Christina!!
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August 25 AND 26 – (outdoor shows #9 and #10 of 11 in a row)… If it’s Travers weekend then FE must be at Dango’s!! They’ve booked us for this weekend every year until the band or the venue is no more!!
Friday I managed to find parking fairly quickly which gave me some extra time and I decided to try my Digital Drum Dial again… I tried it once and really wasn’t happy with the sound so I re-read and watched more videos and it says that when you’re done you should check them by ear… Really?!? This is why I bought the thing – so I wouldn’t have to rely on my ears… back in the case… until tonight. I used my ears to get them where I would tune them then started checking the tensions with the dial, got a feel for the readings, did some tweaking and they didn’t sound bad… maybe I’ll do some more the next night…
Saturday parking was a little more cutthroat but I got in and was anxious to experiment a little more with the Drum Dial – so much so that I got a little behind in setup but it all worked out and even though the dial said my lug tensions were the same to my ear they were waaaay off… but I liked the sound of the drums so I went with it.
This weekend itself was absolutely the craziest I remember seeing the place… for starters we were at capacity BOTH nights with a line of people down Caroline Street waiting to get in!! WOW!!
And to top things off FE was visited by original drummer Pete Vumbacco!! Of course we dragged him on stage and made him play our I’m A Believer / Wipeout mashup… super job!!!
But the best part of the entire weekend in my opinion happened before Saturdays show…
Former Yankee Bernie Williams and his band was playing an early post Travers race show across the street from us… I know our guitarist Jay is a huge Yankees fan and had been picking on him in the weeks prior about who’d be playing with FE because I knew he’s be watching Bernie… But Jay actually went over for Bernie’s sound check, was able to talk to him AND get one of his guitars autographed!! How cool is that?!? The historic coincidence to this is that Jay plays the same model guitar as Stevie Ray Vaughn and years ago Stevie Ray had that guitar autographed by Yankees great Mickey Mantle (Jay has a likeness of Mickey tattooed on his calf)!! What a wild weekend in Saratoga!!!
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September 1 – (outdoor show #11 of 11 in a row)… like I said, if it’s Friday FE must be at Dango’s!!
I’m continuing my Drum Dial tuning and really was pleased though I thought they still sounded too high… next time…
It was a cold, crazy night that saw 7 – count ’em – 7 brides in attendance!! 2 of them were still looking for their reception entertainment and 5 of them have already booked FE including the one we’re performing at the next night!!
It only made it into the 60’s all day so I knew what to expect that night… You can see in the picture at right that it was cold enough for me to play the entire night in a hat and jacket… and in honor of the DCA Championships taking place in Rochester this weekend I broke out my corps jacket with my DCA Finalist patch from 1993…
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September 2 – FE’s first of 5 weddings in September… Today marks our first visit to the Mansion Inn about 15 minutes outside Saratoga… wait… is that a TENT?!? IT IS!!! NO FLAPS – JUST OPEN AIR!!! Oh I’m going to pay for this one… it’s going to be cold again and wearing a cap wouldn’t be appropriate… and there isn’t a heater in sight other than the carving station so I guess it’s time to ‘suck it up buttercup’ and take one for the FE team.
I Drum Dialed the kit and maybe I’m getting a feel for this thing… got the toms a little deeper and closed the interval between the top and bottom heads…
It’s a beautiful venue with a very nice staff and incredible food… I hope we play here again… on a SUMMER evening!!
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Outdoors… so I’m revamping my counts… that makes this outdoor performance #12 of 13 in a row (counting our final Dango’s visit next week)…
Looking ahead we have 5 more outdoor shows – the last being the Hallo-WINE party at the Saratoga Winery… 
September 8 – (Outdoor performance #13 of 13 in a row) FE’s final Dango’s appearance for the year and what can I say… we went out with a whimper…
I didn’t expect Saratoga to be as relatively quiet as it was when I arrived 4 hours early and was able to pull right into one of my preferred parking spots… and even though the weather was clear, it never got out of the 60’s during the day which meant we could expect another chilly night on the deck!!
I was able to put my extra time to good use… earlier in the summer my daughter and I put the finishing touches on my case stenciling (branding – it’s all about the branding) and I thought that called for a selfie including as much gear as possible…
The other thing I did with my extra time was continue to try to get a feel for my Digital Drum Dial… tonight I started backing down the head tension – especially the top heads… had them just to where there were no ripples when pressing in the middle… ended up with the overall tom pitches a little closer to each other than I normally like but came away with a killer floor tom!! Big and low with a powerful thud that was better than I ever expected to get out of a 14″ drum… Oh I have got to play with this some more!!
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September 9 – Outdoor performance #14 of 15 in a row!! That’s right – I’m revamping my count yet again as the first wedding ever hosted at this remodeled barn outside Saratoga and the wall opposite the band is wide open to the guest seating in a tent just outside the barn making this #14 of 15 (counting next Friday at Firestone 151)… this could get chilly…
They had the ceremony at the pond in the back…
All in all it’s and interesting and beautiful venue and I can see where they put a ton of money into it but… they treat the band like they’re nothing more than hired help and have apparently already ticked of the neighbors – one of which waited for the ceremony to begin to fire up a chainsaw and start cutting down trees!!! The owners talked to him and he was none to pleased to learn there would be a live band later… This may be a short-lived wedding venue…
2019 follow up – I was right – this place is shutdown… turns out they had applied for their business permit and told them it would be some sort of environmental study place for schools and would never have more than a few buses and cars in the lot… boy did they lie!! AND they got caught!! I hate to see places go out of business but if you start off this dishonest it’s only a matter of time…
The wedding party on the other hand was one of the nicest and friendliest groups of people we’ve player for!! The groom joined us on lead vocals for several songs and did a great job!!
September 15 – Outdoor performance #15 of 15 in a row – Firestone 151 on an almost summer like evening!! The weather was a welcome change after freezing the past few weeks and my ending up sick as a dog… I’m not sure if it was that or Tameka but something threw me off for the night and I slipped into some king of fog and felt generally detached from everything around me… BUT… at the end of the night as I was packing a couple of young kids – maybe 15 or 16 – stopped behind me and were asking about the kit… one of them is also a drummer and we had a great visit until the owner came over and told the band we needed to get out as soon as possible…
September 16 – Finally – an indoor performance where we didn’t have to worry about the weather at the Inn at Erlowest… and of course it was one of the nicest nights you could imagine.
This venue has become notorious among wedding performers for taking forever to get dinner served – leaving little or no time for the actual party and tonight was no exception… they were well over an hour behind so we ended up playing overtime which wasn’t a big deal because it was a great party. BUT… I heard several complaints of the food being under cooked or just plain improperly prepared and a couple band members weren’t feeling well (I’ll leave it at that) by the end of the night…
September 20 – No gig – just a health update… hopefully it’s a side effect of the head cold kicking my ass and plugging my ears (from those chilly outdoor shows) but I ended up taking today off from work because yesterday morning things started sort of spinning, I started staggering and I got all light headed, warm and clammy… I made my way back to my desk and it settled down after about 10-15 minutes but still had me concerned… It happened again later in the afternoon and I was feeling a bit strange on the 40 minute drive home but I made it and crashed on the bed for over an hour. I got up and had supper but didn’t feel right… it might be a little exhaustion as I haven’t had a good nights sleep in weeks.
Ended up taking the wife to the GF ER last night around 10:00… didn’t see a doctor (or nurse) until about 1:15… got home around 2:00 then took our daughter to school and came home and went back to bed… I took it slow today and it seems a little better though my head feels like it weighs a ton and is hard to balance on my neck… 🙂 3 shows in 2 days this weekend and I need to get rid of this pronto!!
September 22 – Julie’s doing better and my vertigo is gone but I did something to the wrist I fell on in Athens and tweaked my back – just in time for FE to return to Philly…
I arrived 3 1/2 hours early because parking is a nightmare and just in case the space where the band sets up was open due to the majority of people being on the patio enjoying the beautiful weather…
At 6:30 the inside seating was almost empty and there was no one where we needed to go – just a couple coffee tables and leather chairs which they made no effort to move… Same thing at 7:00 and again at 7:30 though there were a few more people dining inside… When Rocco arrived at 8:00 the ‘boss’ said they were ‘hammered’ and it would be a while (the same story as the last time)…really?!? The space has been empty for over 90 minutes, tons of staff wandering around and you’re going to make us wait even longer to setup so don’t say a word if we can’t start on time… AND… they wanted us to use the SIDE entrance!! The last time we were there they said we could no longer use that entrance – everything had to come through the patio entrance…
We eventually made our way in… dinner patrons were ushered out so they could make the grand conversion from restaurant to night club which involves removing almost all the tables and chairs and uncovering a portable bar… oh – and closing the doors to the patio because when they built it they never checked the noise ordinances which should have been a no-brainer given the number of apartments and motels all around them including one on the same property!! I think they clear the room so they can charge everyone $10 a head to get back in so between that and the nice weather we were pretty much alone for the rest of the night… There were a lot of people that wanted to come but wouldn’t pay the cover…
The place is so ridiculous it hurts!! Rocco called during the day to see what time they wanted us to start and was told by the girl that answered the phone that we weren’t playing!! Another woman called back within a few minutes to say that we were playing but I’m convinced the folks running Philly 215 haven’t a clue in the world what they’re doing!!
September 23 (part I) – fitting that the first performance of an FE double header takes place a 4 Diamonds Field in Amsterdam where we were the opening act for Amsterdam native and Voice winner Sawyer Fredericks at the Stickermule Music Festival!! Stickermule is also a local success story that went from a startup in Amsterdam to being one of the top custom sticker manufacturers in the world!!
A late September day and it was 90 degrees in the shade and not a cloud in the sky – just a beautiful summer day unlike anything we saw all summer… 🙂 Big Sky Country opened the show but their set was limited to 30 minutes (we’re not sure why)… then Grand Central Station played until 2:00 and we were pushed back to a 2:30 start…
Let me get the negative out of the way first… When I arrived all the parking lot security people told me I couldn’t get near the stage so I was directed to a spot some 100 yards away and had to cart what I needed from there. Then as other band members arrived they were told to park anywhere near the stage that they could find a space… thanks. As the heat of the day started to take its toll audience members started dropping like flies and Rocco directed them to the sound tent for a little relief from the relentless sun… He also had to suggest to the organizers that they offer free water to those in distress otherwise they might get in trouble…
Other than the parking I had a great time!! High Peaks sound supplied a kit so all I needed to bring in was my cymbals, my snare, my SPD-SX pad and stand and my sticks and the guys did an amazing job and were a really nice group of guys!! People we spoke with after said it sounded amazing out front and I’m hoping to have more pictures and some video soon… The organizers were great to us and had a performer’s tent with water and energy bars and fruit… in all it was a great day and I hope they invite us back if this becomes an annual event.
Once we finished, I packed up my gear and made the trek back up the hill in the parking lot… On my way out one of the security people asked me why I didn’t drive down… a little too late but thanks.
A quick side note about Sawyer Fredericks… he seemed nice and pretty down to earth during the few seconds we saw him prior to our set but his ‘manager’ (I’m pretty sure it was his Mom) refused any and all requests for pictures or to greet him… SHE is enjoying the star billing for sure… best of luck, Sawyer… and find a new manager as soon as you’re 18… 🙂
September 23 (part II) – I sat in the van for a few minutes to unwind and soak up some AC before heading for Centre Street… hit a Stewart’s on the way out of town and decided to take the back roads rather than the thruway, eat my dinner on the way and just relax.
I rolled into Schenectady and right into a parking spot near the gate where we load in when playing outside and as soon as I shut the motor off I crashed!! I didn’t really feel it while in Amsterdam and was attempting to stay hydrated but at this moment I didn’t want to move… I sat tight for about 20 minutes then had to force myself to load in… I wasn’t sure how this would affect the evening but I was moving at least. I got in and setup before anyone else arrived, helped Rocco load in when he arrived then went back to the van and crashed for another 45 minutes and a snack. I took this shot of what will probably be our last show under the ivy for this year…
I can’t explain it but as soon as we started playing I was in overdrive and played one of the best shows – start to finish – that I’ve played in a long time!! I was killing it on every level and enjoying every second of it!! I ran into Nick’s parents on break – his Dad is one of my biggest fans and he said we were smokin’ and everything sounded great!!
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September 29 – First of two weddings this weekend starting at 90 State Street in Albany. I’ll never understand why catering companies think these abandoned marble rooms make great banquet facilities… 90 State, Key Hall, etc. – all giant echo chambers… but beautiful granted… At right is a shot from behind my kit looking up (people who saw it online wanted to know if I fell down)…
On this day / night the logistics were further complicated by an email the day before informing us that we’d have to setup as much as we could ahead of time but off to the side and out of sight because the actual ceremony was taking place right where the band would be!! AND… we’d only have 60 minutes to finish the setup after the ceremony… AND we couldn’t make any noise so no sound check… We made it work of course – at least as well as could be expected…
After wedding party introductions and an FE mini set they directed us to the upstairs / balcony overlooking the room where the rest of the band and photographers would eventually eat (I still won’t eat while playing and continue to pack my own food and eat on my regular schedule).
While waiting I was able to get this rare overhead shot of the kit…
Then the night got interesting…
While waiting upstairs we heard sirens and could tell they had stopped nearby… turned out they were here!! Apparently the brides father was chasing some kids around the dance floor he fell and cracked his head open on a table!! They took him away but we were told to announce that the party would continue… OK…
We continued and during our second set the bride’s father returned and even had his father / daughter dance!!
We played our final song then gave in to chants of ‘one more song’ and returned for an encore that saw the room empty… hmmm…
We finished and started packing when we saw EMTs wheeling in a stretcher again for a woman who had a diabetic episode and collapsed… then a fight broke out… We continued breaking down and once the dust settled we learned that throughout the evening there were 2 ambulance calls, 2 police calls and 3 fights!! One of the police calls was for someone who walked in off the street looking for someone he had a problem with but he had the wrong wedding… I’m pretty sure he wanted the one a few doors up the hill at the State Room…
The highpoint of the whole affair for me (other than the nice overhead of my setup) was that the city of Albany now had a parking APP!! You add your information then when you get to a parking spot you enter your zone (posted everywhere) and your duration of stay and it calculates and charges your card… AND will text or call when the meter gets low so you can add time without ever going out!! How cool is that?!?
September 30 – FE wedding #2 this weekend and we returned to the Hall of Springs… we were hoping for a less eventful evening than the previous night which it was… 🙂
October 14 – Another FE double wedding weekend…
This time we started out of town… waaaaaay out of town… so far out there was no cell or GPS service… we were at a private residence atop a mountain in Andes, NY (about a 3 hour drive for me) for a wedding reception that was several years in the making. This made for a very informal evening… no introductions or formal dances – almost a club appearance… catered by a bar-b-q company who brought a giant smoker and, unlike most weddings we play, the bride and groom informed us ahead of time that the band members are also GUESTS and to make ourselves at home.
There was a hospitality tent behind the main tent where they were feeding the vendors, wait staff and us while everything was being setup and everyone did an amazing job!! Here are some pictures…
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It was a beautiful day but I could feel it getting cool in the tent and as soon as the sun went away the temperature dropped like a rock!! I took advantage of the semi-casual dress and donned my cap in hopes of fending off my usual head cold that occurs every time I expose my dome to sub 50 degree air…
By the end of the mini-set we could see our breath on stage!!
The tent was heated but was never turned on though, when we were playing, it didn’t feel terrible…
When we broke for dinner I grabbed my jacket but quickly realized that that wouldn’t be enough and headed for the van to swap it for my heavier coat.
Whether it was the cold, the older age group, the time of night or the overall volume the majority of people took the shuttles (we’re not sure where because there’s nothing anywhere nearby) and we were able to play a second long set for the bride and groom and a dozen or so partiers and call it an early night which meant I should make it home before 4:00am… provided I could see and follow my printed directions in reverse…
I changed to a knit cap before loading… there was a heavy dew in the air so all the cases were soaked and the wipers got a workout going through the mountains… then patchy dense fog on top of that… I was pretty sure I missed a turn early on but still had no connection to verify that so I pressed on – eventually ending up in Delhi so I wasn’t too far off… I regained cell service, punched in my home address and Google maps proceeded to take me on a whirlwind tour of the most secluded back roads in that part of the state!! I think I startled bears mating!! I checked the next day and it was the shortest route but wow!! At one point I hit a freshly paved section of road… jet black and with no painted lines – just the yellow dots they stick down… the fog got so thick that a couple times on that stretch I came to a complete stop in the road – not sure of where to go!! It took an hour to get back to the Interstate after which it was clear sailing but for a while there it was a wild ride.
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October 15 – Wedding #2 for this weekend… a rare Sunday NIGHT…
It’s been a while since we’ve played the Canfield Casino and not much has changed… though I think there are new people running things and they seem much nicer than the previous people – particularly an older gentlemen who, if bands played a minute over the designated time, would tell them to stop NOW or he would flip the breakers!!
Maybe the most interesting part of the evening was talking to the gentleman who manages the place now and hearing a new ghost story!! The venue’s paranormal history is well documented and was even featured on an episode of Ghost Hunters (or one of those shows) – with people reporting seeing a woman dressed in Victorian era clothes… but this was different…
It seems he had checked the upstairs, turned off the lights come downstairs and set the beam alarms on the stairs and the second floor. He did his check of the downstairs, turned off the lights and was about to leave when he noticed the upstairs lights were on again!! The only switch is upstairs and no one could have got to it without tripping the alarm… He walked over to the stairs and looked up and there was a man standing there!! He was also wearing older style clothes with what the manager described as a high brushed collar… The manager spoke to the man atop the stairs couple times – told him he’d love to talk to him but there was no response… he turned and switched the downstairs lights back on and when he turned back to the stairs the man was gone. He waited for a few minutes, turned the downstairs lights off and within a few seconds the upstairs lights went off!!
The manager has a theory… The Adelphi on Broadway in Saratoga just completed some major remodeling and a number of artifacts that were discovered were moved into the museum at the Canfield and he believes the man he saw is connected to some of them. Fascinating stuff…
October 20 – Keeler Mercedes 50th Anniversary party… sometimes everyday gigs turn into full on adventures… 🙂
I took a half day at work to make the 4:00 stage dark call and rolled into Franklin Plaza in Troy – thrilled to find parking near the venue in the middle of a work day. I get inside and there’s a grand piano and a guitar rig where the band usually sets up… I wander around and eventually find an older gentleman who informs me that the party is at Keeler – Franklin Plaza is catering it!! I head for the van, text everyone to standby and hit the road for the Keeler dealership about 15 minutes away.
When I arrived I was amazed… there ware black drapes everywhere and they were making the transformation from car dealer to swanky party!!
I was able to load in a pair of side doors that were right up against the back of the stage… perfect!! I found a place to park nearby and was ready to watch the night unfold… a night the included Congressman Paul Tonka presenting a proclamation from the state then we all watched as Mr. Keeler himself handed out checks for $50,000 to 5 area organizations!! It was a spectacular evening!! Back to when I arrived…
I came in the opposite side, was directed to Wendy the event planner (same one from last year’s Lake Placid wedding) and while she was showing me to the stage a couple of the salesmen stopped me… ‘You’re the drummer?!? There’s someone you have to meet’… They introduced me to another employee who was apparently also a drummer and they were all insisting that he sit in sometime during the night… I’m always game as long as the rest of the band is cool with it and they are… The guy was very nice… turned out he wasn’t gigging any more but played in a church group so I told him to check out the set list and see what looked interesting.
I didn’t see him the rest of the night but towards the end we took a break for the silent auction drawings (which ate up the rest of our time) and we decided to play a couple more tunes anyway and then I ran into them again!! The drummer said he knew 25 Or 6 to 4 so up he went… I think he had great time judging from that smile and I felt like we made a lot of people’s night when it was all done.
As a whole it was a great party and we met some very nice people…
October 21 – a late season wedding at the Lake George Club and they couldn’t have asked for a nicer day – especially for late September!!
A 70 degree day that turned into a slightly chilly (but still a whole lot better than it could have been on the like) 50 degree night and a LOT more people than I have seen for a function there!! The ceremony was held right on the dock… there was only a hint of a steady breeze… and they were an absolutely super group of people!! There were no incidents… just a great party with great people.
And I have to say that the Lake George Club always takes great care of us… thank you!!!
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October 27 and 28 – a tale of two parties…
Friday night we made our first visit to the new Albany Capital Center for the annual Alliance for Positive Health BOO-Jolais Vampire Ball – a $100 / ticket wine and food tasting costume party…
I was the first to arrive and all I was told was that there was a loading dock on the side street and we would enter from there… I see no loading dock… I see a huge, white garage-type door… fortunately one of the Mazzone catering trucks arrived, called the number next to the door and within a few seconds the door lifted to expose a loading area that could have held a half dozen tractor trailers!!
Security was very nice and explained that the best procedure would be for me to unload near the ramp, park in the garage underneath (What?? There’s a garage underneath?!? SWEET!!) then I could move my gear to the elevators to go up to the main hall. $5 for parking in a secure garage was a no brainer and I was early enough that parking wasn’t an issue. Getting everything from the loading ramp to the elevators reminded me a bit of the Hunter Mountain load in… I later learned that there were huge flat carts that would have easily held all my gear in one swoop but the caterers had commandeered all of them.
The room is amazing!! About the size of 4 high school gyms!! And the ceiling was all LEDs – like a giant TV!! They said the stage lighting was hidden up in there so we didn’t need to bring any and we’d hired Live Sound Inc. to cover sound for the night so I was the only one with a substantial load in…
Here are some early shots of the room…
As the night went on a few people danced, the stage lights were never turned on and, with a few notable exceptions, we were ignored in the dark side of the room the entire night. The wine and food was said to be incredible and I hope they met their fundraising goal but c’mon people – have some fun!! Which brings me to Saturday night…
On Saturday we returned for our 2nd engagement for the Saratoga Winery’s Hallo-WINE Party – an outdoor event (well, in a semi-heated tent)… Last year it snowed the night before which collapsed one of the tents and we were moved to a raised deck where they had rigged the pieces of the damaged tent to enclose the area… I was put on a sort of balcony where the cold air came up from underneath all night and no heat made its way back to me… needless to say I was froze solid by the end of the night so I wasn’t necessarily looking forward to this gig…
I arrived my usual 3 hours early to find a pretty full parking lot… hmmm… I made my way through the back gate and discovered a separate tent with a stage… no stairs – I’m already happier!! The deck we were on last year was jammed with people having dinner and enjoying a very good acoustic trio… I proceeded to setup and noticed that the stage had a noticeable incline… I’d have to see how this worked out – it usually kills my back and Achilles tendons having to lean forward all night and the change in angles on the pedals but this didn’t feel too bad… and temperature was decent too!! I was able to setup in a long sleeved heavy-weight t-shirt but could feel the temperature dropping as I finished setting up.
As I ate in the car I watched as people began arriving in costume and thought this might be a decent crowd… last year they had about 40 reservations and ended up with around 125 people… 8:00 o’clock rolled around and people were starting to move to our tent so we launched into our show to see what would happen and the tent quickly filled up and I mean it filled to the point where they could barely dance and they were ready to party (and after last night in Albany so were we)!!
After playing non-stop for a little more than 90 minutes we took a break… Nick and I made our way through the crowd, into the deck crowd and found ourselves in the middle of the inside crowd… you couldn’t move no matter where you went – this place was JAMMED!! A few of us congregated in the parking lot to chill for a few minutes and watched car after car continue to pull in – including stretch limos!! We noticed a few cars parked back towards the woods and on closer examination discovered a whole other parking lot stretching the entire back length of the property – easily a quarter of a mile – and also filled with cars!! At the end of the night the management told us they had about 230 reservations to start but finished with over 500 people!! I’m sure we’ll be playing this party until we’re old and grey (I know – don’t say it… I’m already there)… 🙂
The group decided to go for 80’s theme costumes after a few years of 70’s… after a consensus couldn’t be reached on what kind of 80’s look everyone just did their own thing…
Unfortunately for me, the combination of new and lousy health insurance from my work and a couple of untimely co-pays for my wife’s cancer treatment ($200 for an ER visit and $210 every 6 weeks when she has her port flushed and a CT scan) meant that I didn’t have the discretionary income to purchase anything for the occasion… AND I’m trying to stay warm and buried behind the drums so hopefully not too many people noticed… It was easily one of the best parties we’ve played in a long time!! The band was clicking and everyone had a much-needed good time!!
November 4 – tonight was that huge private part I referred to back when we played the outdoor concert at On Tap… tonight we had the extreme honor of being the chosen entertainment for the New York State Police Commandant’s Centennial Gala – the culmination of a year-long celebration of the 100th year of activity at the Saratoga City Center!!
For whatever reason, I felt the need to shop for a tie with just the right shade of purple in it… mission accomplished…
This was my first time in the City Center – the only room in the entire place I hadn’t played and what an amazing room it is… and the purple up-lighting added the perfect nuance…
We wanted to sound check at 5:00 and needed to be clear by 5:30 so I arrived at 1:00 naturally (I beat the sound company) – not knowing what the load in and parking would be like with an event this size – but had no real issues (other then the incline of the ramp next to the loading dock)…
I was in, cleaned, tuned, sound checked and dressed before 3:00!! I took my clothes and tuner back to the van around 4:15, moved my vehicle out of the parking lot marked ‘tow away after 4:00’ (even though the boss told me I’d be OK there but by then they had unblocked one of the other parking lots) and grabbed some supper… The band played part of a song around 5:00 then set about entertaining each other until we played around 8:45…
I hung out and talked with the rest of the band… watched the honor guard practice their entrance and placement of the flags over repeatedly and eventually made me way out to the lobby and later took in some of the incredible displays that had been setup that included some of the troop cars through the years… wandered back in time to catch the NYS Police Pipe Band then we all reassembled in the staff eating area where the band, photographers and on duty officers were fed and hung out there until it was time to take the stage.
We weren’t sure what to expect but once we started playing the dance floor filled and remained that way throughout the evening which was a huge relief!! We took a short break but everyone stuck around and it turned out to be a great party.
We didn’t get any shots during our performance but here are some I took throughout the evening…
Next up a much needed and well-deserved weekend off… maybe some of my ailments will heal… I’ve had a head cold for about 3 weeks – a by product of the many late season outdoor performances… and my back, neck and wrists are all bothering me – all right where I fell on the steps in Athens back in July… had my annual eye exam a couple days ago and ran some added tests because of some blurred vision I’ve been dealing with – again since that fall… a number of people have tried to convince me to sue the town but for what?? Most likely I’d be told the mud on the stairs was a result of the rain which would make it an ‘act of God’ and all I’d get would be a big bill from an attorney – that’s the kind of luck I usually have… hopefully a couple weeks will be enough to make a difference health-wise because I can’t afford to lose this gig!!
November 17 – FE returns to Philly Lounge… I arrive at 7:00 for a 10:00 start… there’s hardly a soul in the place and no one where the band sets up – the furniture is just in a pile… yet we’re told once again that’s it’s going to be a while before they can clear it so we can setup…
We start to stage equipment at the patio entrance because last time we were told we couldn’t use the side entrance closer to the stage but this time they want us to come in that way…
As we setup we watch their nightly routine of converting the restaurant to a night club which includes tossing out the patrons that stayed to hear us then charging them $10 each to get back in!!
November 18 – this was an interesting night… the whole weekend had some twists one of which I’ll come back to – but on this particular evening FE was returning to Renaissance Hall in Schenectady… it was also the night of the annual Schenectady Holiday Parade and the Avant Garde Alumni line was marching… could I make this work so I could do both?!? Matt was in from Boston which meant a full 5 man bass line if I could… let’s go for it – a DOUBLE!!
I rolled in front of the hall at 3:00 to discover locked doors and no sign of anyone… so much for setting up or at least dropping gear early… I then drove to the parking lot where the parade would end. Jim from the line was good enough to pick me up with my drum so I could jump in the van when the parade was over and head back to the hall which was only about 5 or 6 blocks away.
It seems that every year we march in Schenectady it’s cold and snowing or raining… this year it was all three!! And we were down a snare as Dave unfortunately fell out of a tree stand and shattered his heal!! Our thoughts are with him for a speedy recovery – especially since the rumors of a full alumni corps with horns and color guard will become a reality at the June 9, 2018 Saratoga Flag Day Parade!! Very exciting stuff!! So get well soon, Dave!!
The line wrapped up its participation in the parade and I immediately loaded up and made my way through traffic back to Renaissance Hall arriving at 6:45 – only 45 minutes later than I would have normally… perfect!!
I was setup and ready in plenty of time and FE had a great time as we broke in a potential sound guy and celebrated one of Justin’s (alto and bari sax and vocals) last shows… After almost 8 years FE is losing one of its original members… we wish him the absolute best!!
OK – back to that bizarre twist…
As I was setting up Rocco asked me how the parade went… I told him great – cold and wet but still great… I told him the line marches in the South Glens Falls Holiday Parade the next day each year… He asked if I was going to march and I told him I wasn’t because (as he knew) FE had a wedding at Saratoga National and we had to setup at noon and the parade stepped off at 1:00… he smiled and said, “You can do the parade.”
I wondered if I was getting thrown out or what… then he told me that he had received a call from the bride that afternoon… something had happened and the wedding was OFF!! The contract says we still get paid but Rocco felt horrible and settled for cancellation pay for everyone… it wasn’t wedding pay a week before Christmas but it was still better than getting nothing… and for doing nothing. The bride said the groom’s family had decided not to attend but Saratoga National was providing a buffet for the bride and her family that came into town… Rocco set them up with a DJ who texted him during the event to say that it was extremely awkward and uncomfortable… the bride and groom were on opposite sides of the room and hadn’t spoken all day… and there were several empty magnums of Dom Perignon scattered around the room… just a strange and sad situation all around.
November 19 – AGAD returns to the South Glens Falls Holiday parade. The parade almost didn’t happen as the sponsor pulled out but a local couple stepped in, collected donations and pulled it all together!!
We were down 2 snares today – Dave and his busted foot and Dave’s wife Trish who was taking care of all the things she’d normally be trying to get Dave to do… if he didn’t have a busted foot…
It was still cold but dry and tons of people at as usual… I’m sure they were happy to see what has become a tradition continue for at least one more year…
November 24 – for the first time since I’ve been playing and filling in with the band we had Thanksgiving eve off!! We did play the night after Thanksgiving at our regular stop – Centre Street Pub… and it was insane as always!!
December 1 – we once again had the honor of entertaining the Colonie Police Department at their annual holiday party.
December 2 – December weddings are rare yet here was our first of two this month – this one at 90 State in Albany…
December 3 – today I got to take Mom to an afternoon gig as I filled in with the New Whiskey River Band at Robin’s Nest in Broadalbin!! They play all the old country – right up Mom’s alley… and the food is great so she made a day of it.
December 8 – FE returns to Nanola for a sort of audition… The place has been jammed every time we played there but for whatever reason we were being told that this was a test of our draw and if they didn’t feel the crowd was big enough we wouldn’t be back… We had a great crowd and a great time as usual but I didn’t see any familiar faces in the staff and heard stories of people not getting waited on to order food… I came away with the feeling that something had changed or maybe, as had happened so many times before at that location, this was another venture on its way out… time will tell.
December 9 – another rare December wedding – this time at the Hall of Springs in Saratoga… Great people and an over-the-top party – the kind that reminds us why we love doing this!!
December 15 – a quick return to Renaissance Hall in Schenectady as Justin’s farewell tour winds down
December 23 – our last visit of 2017 to Centre Street Pub… 2 days before Christmas and it was snowing with a threat of freezing rain so I was a little nervous about the turnout and when I arrived there was less than a dozen people in the whole place… yet they refused to clear the tables where the band sets up (sound familiar?)… at least here they give us a time – usually 7:00 – which still gives us 2 hours to setup… on this night however, for whatever reason, we were told that they’d unlock the gate and we’d have to load in through the patio!! No big deal usually – just a really long route to get where we’re going – but it would have been nice if someone had shoveled some sort of path… instead we’re dragging everything through the snow and slush… thanks!! Apparently some customer had complained about a previous band loading in while they were eating… as usual – there’s always one that ruins it for everybody.
We managed to make our way in and setup and as our start time got closer the place quickly filled to overflowing and we proceeded to have the party of the year!! Merry Christmas!!
By the time we loaded out everything was ICE!! There was no way to wheel gear back through the snow as all the tracks had froze solid but thankfully no one seemed to have a problem with us exiting through the front at 2:00am… Rocco had generously given each of us a bottle of wine but as Jay was walking to retrieve his vehicle he slipped on the ice and fell – breaking the bottle and slashing the palm of his hand and embedding glass in the end of a finger!!
December 31 – a few days off for Christmas – both at work and with the band since New Years Eve fell on a Sunday night… FE is booked at the Rivers Casino in Schenectady… originally we were booked for the VIP party in the convention area but a month or so ago they bumped us to the Van Slyck’s lounge and brought in the actual Commodores (Brick House, etc.) for one show at 11:00!! They hired a group from Jersey – coincidentally named Evo X – to open for us in the lounge… they would play 6:00 – 10:00 and we’d play 10:00 – 2:00. We were told that a full PA and backline (guitar and bass amps and drums) would be provided and that I didn’t need to bring anything… I knew I’d need my sample pad, trigger and sticks of course so I’m thinking this will be a piece of cake… 10:00 start and I wouldn’t need to be there until after 9:00 – maybe 9:30 even… Then comes word that we all have to be there at NOON (yes – a full 10 hours before we start) for sound check!! Really?!? I packed my lunch AND dinner, clothes and a razor because at this rate I might need a shave again by the time we played…
I arrived shortly before noon and learned that there was some mix up and the sound guy wouldn’t be there until 1:30 or so… fine… let’s check out this kit they provided… I don’t mean to be ungracious but this is a beginner’s kit with possibly the cheapest / worst cymbals known to man!! I adjusted it as best I could and clamped the stool that kept slipping – making me appear 3 feet tall… I’ll just make the best of it.
As we all stood there waiting for the sound guy to show I got to watch more football than I had seen all season (since cutting the cord)… then we get word that an email had gone to the techs but not the bands stating that sound check wouldn’t be allowed before 3:00 so our sound check was 3:00 – 4:00. We eventually did sound check – leaving me with only 6 hours to kill until we played…
I got dressed, watched some more football and met some of the members of Evo X prior to their sound check… I moved my trigger and sample pad out of their drummer’s way then the amps got rearranged and our bass and guitar had to pack all their axes… when it was all done we wondered why we had bothered?? We all could have showed up at 9:30 and been just as well off sound wise… with that everyone went back home and I warmed up the van for some dinner and a little relaxation.
After a while I came back in to catch Evo X’s first set… lots of gen X music that I recognized which was fun… they were excellent and very entertaining though the crowd was a little thin and fairly unresponsive…
I found a comfy spot in the hotel lobby where I watched the NFL playoffs unfold and even some college basketball… I checked back at the lounge and the crowd had grown significantly and they and Evo X had apparently warmed up to each other as the party had obviously started.
We worked it out so they’d finish about 9:45 and we’d start about 10:15 – sooner if we were ready…
Performing between band sets was DJ Patrice – the official DJ of the New York Jets!! This guy was a party by himself and we had a great time together!!
When it was all said and done Van Slyck’s was packed to the rafters and spilling well out into the casino!! The drum kit however sounded horrible… the Meinl cymbals couldn’t be heard anywhere – including by me even when bashing the crap out of them!! I would have gladly moved and setup all my gear which would have greatly improved the overall sound but it was what it was and I was packed and ready to leave in 15 minutes… but I missed my kit… 🙂
We got some dates out of it so we’ll be back and it’s close to home and not a terrible load-in so we’ll see…