—
—
—
Happy 2018!!
I can’t believe that I’m already starting my 4th full year with Funk Evolution!! It’s been a whirlwind, a dream… and I have no intention of stopping!! As I’m writing this (1/1/18) FE has 58 performances already booked for the year – 28 of them are weddings!! Let’s get busy!!! 🙂
January 6 – I have to say that the story of 2018 thus far (and the end of 2017) is the WEATHER!! A couple heavy snow storms before Christmas then a weeks long stretch of single digits and sub-zero nights… and now we head to Hunter Mountain where it’s always cold and windy and what’s the forecast?? A HIGH of -6 and a low of -24 with wind chills dropping that even further!! Oh joy!!
I dressed accordingly and hit the road… I wasn’t sure what to expect for a crowd on the slopes… if you’ve read any of my previous rants you know how I feel about the cluelessness of some of the big city ‘swooshers’ who ignore the pleas of band members and security guards as we try to move equipment in – many will look over there shoulders at us then return to their cell phones or conversations without budging… But on this day I thought their numbers might be fewer given the extreme cold and high winds and, on the one hand, I was pleased to be right as I was able to navigate those in attendance pretty easily but I wondered what that would translate to when we played… Turned out that many chose to join us inside rather than go out in the elements a second or third time and it ended up being a great party. Thankfully everyone’s vehicles started then end of the night as temperatures were plummeting to record lows rendering the northeast as an area where, as Lewis Black says, “…penguins should have sex and that’s about it!!” 🙂
January 12 + 13 – FE’s first public appearance in the Turquoise Tiger lounge at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY!! And a two-nighter at that!! This is exciting on a number of levels… partly because in recent years most venues refuse to book the same group on consecutive nights but primarily (for me) because that means I won’t have to break down and setup in between!! A rarity!!
Of course I had to polish those cymbals in the days prior… That’s a 40+ year old Zildjian Quick Beat cymbal still looking (almost) as good as the day I bought it!! Take care of your gear and it will take care of you!! 🙂
—
This room is absolutely stunning!! We’ve played some private functions here but nothing opened to the public so we were excited to see how we’d be received.
The last time we played here (2 or 3 years ago – right before Christmas) was for one of our sponsors (Hennessy) but an Oneida tribal elder was in attendance and almost pulled together a last minute New Years Eve package because he wanted us back that bad so our foot was in the door as they say…
This room… WOW!!!
—
—
—
It makes my kit look awfully nice… of course I always shine up all the chrome before shows like this…
And Michael – the house sound engineer – makes the kit and the entire band sound phenomenal!! Thank you!!
But the whole experience made for a weekend to remember so sit back – I have a story to tell…
I rolled into town early (of course) on a 60+ degree day – a welcome change from the extended cold streak we’d been having – and went right to our hotel to check in… the casino was giving us 4 rooms for the weekend so we were going to double up but because so many in the group had indicated that they were going home after Saturday’s performance Rocco brokered a deal where we all got our own rooms!! I went to the front desk, gave them my name and they handed me an envelope with my name and other info neatly printed on it and my ‘credentials’ inside… now I’m feeling pretty darn special!! The envelope contained my weekend pass (at left) and a debit card for meals and such… pretty impressive!! Bands don’t get treated like this very often… 🙂
I unloaded my overnight gear then headed to the casino (about a mile up the road) to load in and setup thinking I’d be ahead of the sound guy by 30 minutes or so but he decided to come in early too… separated at birth?!? Or maybe, judging by his age, he’s a son I didn’t know I had… 🙂 At any rate, I setup, we chatted, sound checked the drums and had a couple hours to kill before the rest of the band arrived…
The group sound checked, ran a couple tunes then I was able to go back to my room, eat and relax for a while… very cool!!
I got dressed and headed for Turning Stone around 9:00 to prep for the 9:30 start… actually the host – Madame ZZ – would go on at 9:30, sing a few tunes to backing tracks, then we would follow. She’d perform on our abbreviated breaks which I enjoyed (the short breaks that is – though she was very good) then again at the end of the night.
When it was all over we’d had the pleasure of performing for a truly wonderful audience which included a birthday girl who even joined in on tambourine then I had the great pleasure of being able to just change shoes and leave – no tear down or load out!! So this is what heaven feels like… 🙂 Until I walked outside and discovered about 1/2 inch of sleet on top of freezing rain from sometime earlier in the evening… my side doors were froze shut but my driver door opened albeit reluctantly… The roads were still in pretty good shape and I had no problem getting back to my room. They run a shuttle 24/7 but knowing I had to check out at 11:00 the next morning and the amount of things I had with me I decided to just drive myself. I texted the wife and settled into bed for a little TV before calling it a night.
I woke up about 8:30 the next morning and had planned to hit a Dunkin Donuts since there was one the other side of the highway and another a mile away – across from the casino… I opened the curtains to start my van and discovered there had been over a foot of snow overnight!! Welcome to the snow belt!! I let the van run a cycle while I got dressed then made my way through the unplowed / un-shoveled lot, found a door that wasn’t froze shut on the van and spent the next 10 minutes pushing snow, scraping windows and getting ice off the wipers!! I considered staying put and taking advantage of the breakfast offered by the hotel but that turned out to be little more than a box of mini powered donuts (someone found waffles… or maybe they brought them with them) so I decided to venture out and headed for the DD by the casino thinking that the added travel time would heat up the van and maybe free up the side doors.
The hotel lot hadn’t been touched at all and I was fortunate not to bottom out in the fresh snow but their guy was just starting to plow as I left. The side road wasn’t much better but the highway had been plowed and I ended up following two plows… perfect!! As I came up on the turn to the side road leading to DD I could see that it also hadn’t been touched… now I had to find a place to turn around… just then the plows made U-turns right in the highway and headed back in the direction they came… as I waited for them to execute this move I pondered my next move and decided to follow their path and try for the DD closer to the hotel. Of course as I was making my turn a couple cars showed up and I had to stop and ended up getting stuck!! I’ve been here before and this is why I like keeping the drum load in the back all the time but it was empty now so I wasn’t sure how I’d fare… I backed up a few feet, checked for traffic… and rolled right out and back into the other lanes – no problem (whew!). The other DD was part of a sort of truck stop and as I pulled in their lot I could tell it hadn’t been plowed either!! I managed to go all the way around the building… there was no place to park and I thought ‘screw it!’ – I’ll just go back to my room and have the lunch I packed for breakfast (then have breakfast when I checked out at 11:00).
When I returned to the Inn they were just plowing the road in front of where I had been parked so I waited for him to get that open then backed right back into the spot I came from… still no side doors but the van was warm and the windows clear. I started packing then ‘shit, shaved and showered’ as they say… loaded the van and when I checked out just before 11:00 the sun was actually starting to peak through!! Yay!! I had weathered the storm!! Now my biggest problem was what to do for the next 10+ hours until we played…
I hit the DD by the casino, considered parking in the garage but it felt warmer in the sun even though the temp was only in the low teens… The area of the loading dock where we enter hadn’t been plowed… neither was the adjacent lot where we parked but I did find a shuttle lot that had been cleared so I parked there and ate my mobile brunch and debated trying to get in our dressing room or what else I might do to kill some time… Rocco had wanted to add some red to the band’s dress scheme but the only red I had in my closet were drum corps unis from back in the 80’s… The roads were in decent shape so I wondered what stores were nearby… a little Googling turned up a Walmart about 5 miles away… perfect!! I have a lot of their George brand pants and shirts… they’re not expensive but feel like they’re well made… let’s go see if they have any red.
Walmart’s lot hadn’t been plowed either but I made my way to an open spot and started shopping… After some searching I found a couple ties I liked that I thought might do nicely… then I spotted a shirt but through the plastic I wasn’t sure if the red in the tie I preferred was a match and after some internal deliberation I decided to go with it – worst case scenario was I’d wear one or the other.
I returned to the casino lot around 1:00… they’d started plowing the lot where we park but weren’t finished but the van was toasty warm so I returned to the shuttle lot and could hear the payloaders feverishly working to clear lots all around me so I knew it wouldn’t be long and chose to sit it out in the warm van where I even napped in the sun. And all my froze doors opened!! By 2:00 our lot was clear so I gathered my wardrobe bag as well as my new ‘duds’ and made my way to the loading dock entrance… it had been plowed but not near the doors where there was still a foot or more of drifting snow… this wouldn’t be a fun load out but I’d manage – I always do… 🙂
I was able to get in and made my way to our dressing room and settled in for the afternoon… I had my laptop with me, connected to their Wi-Fi, got some work done then spent the rest of the afternoon watching You Tube videos and some TV and movies on a friend’s Plex server – a most relaxing afternoon!!
My plan was to get dressed around 7:00 and take the things I didn’t need out to the van (to cut down the load out) and warm it up a little as temperatures were already hovering around 0, grab a late supper and check in with my wife and Mom – both of whom still worry about me being out of town after all these years.
Oh – and the new shirt an tie?!? I guess I did alright (at right)…
As for our second night in the Turquois Tiger, it was even better than the first!! An even bigger crowd and more people that I knew than many gigs I play closer to home… Kim who I worked with at BOCES with and all her sisters… a Friendly’s waitress who Mom knows who promised to find me… she was accompanied by a guy that looked very familiar… it turned out we went to school together for one year back in 5th grade!! And our good friend and drummer Gino Nistico and his fiancé came out… what a night!!
When it was all said and done we had made a lot of new fans and friends… remember the birthday girl from Friday night?? Her family booked a wedding with us later this year the next day!! And another couple asked for a stack of cards… when we asked why a stack, the gentleman replied that he and his significant other planned to marry soon and they’d be calling… also, between them, they have 9 (yes – count ’em – 9) daughters – all of marrying age – and he would love to see us at as many receptions as possible!! And the casino bosses were all most pleased!! We were concerned with the lower numbers Friday night due in part at least to the storm… but we were told it isn’t about the numbers – it’s strictly about the people who ARE there having a good time, staying and drinking… when they do that, there’s a good chance they’ll be back… so for FE, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! We were told to expect future dates and for me, even with returning home at 4:30 in the morning, it’s still not a bad thing and I look forward to going back.
Nick was nice enough to hang out and help me get my 2 heaviest case down the stairs (there’s no ramp at the loading dock and the docks sit 4 feet off the ground) – thank you, Nick!! The only downside to the weekend came when I was loading out in the sub-zero cold through the snow drifts Saturday night (well, Sunday morning)… some little cigar-smoking dweeb with a single small guitar amp and guitar blocked the entire loading area so I had to park 30 feet from the door, drag my stuff through the snow while I watched him open a loading dock, put two things in his car then drive off leaving the door open!! Like I said, I managed and was on the road shortly after 2:00am.
UPDATE… in the week after this gig, FE has booked 2 weddings, has contracts out for 2 more and was booked to open a music festival in Utica in June!! All from just two nights in a place with people who rarely if at all get to see and hear us.
We also got word that Rivers Casino had booked us for New Years Eve already – and this time we WOULD be in the convention room AND they were going to open that out to the game floor!! It seems we outdrew the Commodores 3:1!! I also heard that the bartenders cleared over $2500 in TIPS in our room!!!
January 20 – FE returned to the fabulous Franklin Plaza in Troy for a reasonably tame late season holiday party for the Keller-Williams real estate group.
Being an overdue holiday party it seemed only fitting that I swing by Parkway Music and cash in a gift certificate I’d received from my brother and sister-in-law… I was able to replace an aging and slightly warped (I heard that) 16″ Zildjian with a shiny new 16″ medium Kasza cymbal!! I’m really pleased with the 3 I already use so this was a no brainer – especially at their price point!!
And I love that Franklin Plaza had everything decorated for Christmas so I could pose with my gift in front of the tree… 🙂
January 27 – I think this is my first trip to the Albany Marriot… I’m here with FE for the Fuller Road Fire House Installation Banquet…
February 3 – the gig that wasn’t… FE was scheduled to perform at Renaissance in Schenectady but the day before we get word that there was a ‘snafu’ with the booking… my guess is we were scheduled for 3/2 but someone put 2/3 in the booking… We always seem to be the good guys who tell them that it isn’t a problem so we ended up with an unexpected night off.
February 10 – another FE appearance at Hunter Mountain…
The weather people couldn’t decide what form the precipitation would take… rain, wet snow, sleet, freezing rain, etc… or when it would hit… I had an inch or two of snow on the ground when I left which made me a little nervous but the further south I got the less there was and it was just rain by the half way mark… the sun was even out as I approached Catskill…
While at the gig I was hearing that things were freezing further north so I wasn’t sure what I’d hit closer to home but the salt trucks were out in force so if it was icy anywhere I never had a problem.
The gig itself was nuts!! The slopes were packed which meant the lodge would be a zoo which meant trying to load in gear through a couple thousand Jar-Jar Binks walk-alikes who are consistently oblivious to everything around them… one girl looked at me rolling a stack of cases, walked in front of me and stopped dead and proceeded to text while I waited!! I can only surmise that the reason these same people aren’t skiing into trees and killing themselves is that they’re some sort of ski savants – they certainly have no people skills or common sense.
Then there’s the other segment of the visitors – people who seem more like you and me… they come, they ski, they eat, they drink, they are able to carry on conversations, etc. These are the people that make it all worthwhile and on this night their numbers were huge making it a party that could have gone on for another hour or two easy!! Thank you all for being there!! Many say they’ll be back when we return in 6 weeks for the CoCo Water Beach Party… oh please let it be inside!! Two years ago they put us on the deck as the weather people were saying it would be a sunny 50 degree March day… it WAS a mid-30 degree day… and it snowed twice!!! We’ll know when we get there… 🙂
February 17 – FE’s first visit of 2018 to Centre Street Pub… it seemed quiet when we started but that’s not unusual… what IS unusual is for it to stay quiet. It picked up some but the crowd was far from what we’re used to there…
February 24 – FE had the honor of playing for the Albany County Legislature’s 50th Anniversary celebration at the Desmond in Albany. Very nice group of people though most left after dinner and speeches… the 8-12 ‘die hards’ who stayed with us until the very end had a great time as evidenced by the number of business cards we were handing out…
As for the Desmond… I rolled in a little more than 3 hours before we were to be stage dark fully expecting to have to wait for some meeting to be cleared and the room to be reset in an hour or two as has been the case in the past… But this was a Saturday… our other shows were Fridays so I was optimistic – especially when I pulled in to find a mostly empty parking lot… I checked our usual ballroom through the loading dock but soon learned that we were in the back ballroom and it was OPEN!! I drove around to that entrance and there wasn’t a single car in the lot!! I was parked, loaded in, polished and setup all before 4:00!!
The Desmond is also easily in the top 5 for being the worst at getting meals out on time but I think the lack of meetings or conventions relieved that strain as well because, at least on this night, everything ran like clockwork.–
Next up – A weekend to remember… A tale of two idioms… and the last of my bucket list!!
—
—
March 3 and 4 – This weekend was special on a whole other level for me as this was camp weekend and the first full rehearsals for the Avant Garde Reunion Drum & Bugle Corps!! I’ve been lucky enough to be a marching member of the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline for the past several years and there’s always been talk of getting a hornline together… On June 9, 2018 that will become a reality as the corps reunites to march down Broadway ‘One Last Time’ in Saratoga’s annual Flag Day Parade!! Currently the corps will hit the streets with 70 horns, 30 drums and 40 color guard!! Why is this so important to me?? Read on…
In 1975 two Lake George High School freshmen – both drummers – were in the audience at East Side Rec in Saratoga for something they’d never seen before – a drum & bugle corps competition. By the time the newly formed Avant Garde from right there in Saratoga finished their performance they were both hooked!! One would join a couple years later while the other (me) had already embarked on a professional playing career and would never know that thrill.
Several years ago the one who joined assembled an alumni drumline and I was invited to join. I have been excited beyond words to finally be able to wear the colors and logo as a playing member of the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline but marching with a full hornline was still a pipe dream. But on June 9, 2018, after 43 years of personal regret, I will march down Broadway ‘One Last Time’ in the annual Flag Day Parade as a member of the Avant Garde Reunion Drum & Bugle Corps!! The Elks who sponsor the parade are telling us that this will be the largest musical ensemble to ever march the route!!
—
March 3rd was day one of our first weekend camp – dedicated to two of the corps’ signature ballads… ‘Over the ‘Rainbow’ and ‘People’. We’ll also be performing ‘Summertime’ – easily one of the most memorable numbers from that night back in ’75 – that was the challenge for Sunday’s camp.
I had to leave camp early to setup for a Funk Evolution gig but as luck would have it, it was at the Hall of Springs – only 5 minutes away from the corps camp at Spa Catholic school (how did I get that lucky?)… My goal was to get setup and dressed then return to camp for full ensemble at 5:00 but it was going to be close… I was setup and ready almost before the light and sound truck arrived so I dressed and hauled butt back to Spa Catholic – arriving just as they were starting!! The guys had moved my gear up to the gym so all I had to do was find my charts and jump in line. What a major adrenaline rush it was to finally be part of the echoes of the Avant Garde Drum & Bugle Corps that were resounding off the Spa Catholic gym walls!! I had all I could do not to scream with joy!!
Once we finished Jeff Perkins (corps director then and now) had some closing remarks then I headed back to the night gig…
FE had the extreme pleasure of being selected as the entertainment choice for the annual SPAC gala for the 3rd consecutive year (or 4th or 5th… sorry – I’ve lost track)!! This years theme was ‘Under the Sea’ and the Hall of Springs never looked more beautiful… And what a party it was!! Start to finish the dance floor looked like the scene below… An absolutely fabulous night with some absolutely amazing people!! Last year’s event sold out at the last minute but this year’s was sold out weeks ahead… Nice job SPAC Jr. Council!!
The years are flying by and I still can’t believe that I’m lucky enough to be a member of both of these organizations!!
Thank you FE!! Thank you AG!! I am now whole…
Oh – and the Sunday camp dedicated to the exhibition piece (that no one was sure could be pulled off) came together like it was 1975 all over again!! I can’t wait for June 9th!!!
March 16 – Tonight FE finally played its’ Renaissance date that had been double booked once then cancelled by a major snow storm… it almost didn’t happen AGAIN!!
When I arrived and said my ‘hellos’ the bartender and waitress kept looking at me sort of confused… when I said I’m with FE they both said we weren’t there on his night and I should wait for the manager… meanwhile I texted Rocco who confirmed that we are supposed to be there… the manager arrives and she tells me we’re not on the calendar, they haven’t advertised it and they have no kitchen staff… perfect. She says she’s going to call the owner then asks me to ask Rocco to call… tick tock, tick tock… eventually Rocco replies that I should setup…
Later I heard that manager getting royally chewed out but it turned out to be one of the better nights we’ve had there with lots of new, happy faces. And I got to capture some more GoPro Hero 5 video…
GoPro Hero 5 Drum Cam Test
One thing that needs to be said that the management doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge is that, former church or not, this place is in easily one of the worst parts of Schenectady!! I’m sure that has to be a major factor in the consistent lack of any meaningful attendance – dinner or otherwise…
March 24 – Back to Centre Street Pub… our 2nd of 4 consecutive weeks in Schenectady at venues less than 2 miles from each other. I still think something is up here… crowds are down – not just for the bands but for dinners too… and they’re a disorganized mess… as further proof (stop me if you’ve heard this before) I arrive a little before 6:00 (for a 9:00 start)… the ‘stage’ (OK – the corner where they stick the bands) is still full of EMPTY high top tables and chairs… the rest of the place is pretty empty as well but nothing doing – we have to wait until 7:00 to come in… it was around that time that some genius decided to seat a party of 5 at one of the high tops – right where the band is supposed to go!! I went in about 7:10 and they’d just been brought their pizza…
When we were finally allowed in we busted our asses and managed to start almost right on time but not without issues from rushing around… I can see this becoming strictly a warm weather destination for us when we’d be outside in the Biergarten without the other setup nonsense.
I know – I complain a lot about these places and their disorganization so why do I even keep doing this?? Why do I keep breaking my back – putting in a 10+ hour day for maybe 3 hours of playing enjoyment?? I’ll get back to you…
I was looking for something to replace the Gibralter spring-loaded quick release clips that came on my cymbal arms of my Stealth racks but hadn’t found anything I liked. I had ordered some new cymbal bases and sleeves but got them too long,,, During this week I finally had time to cut them down about 1/4 inch and file them smooth so I could try them with a new pinch clip (shown at right) but with the rushed setup I wasn’t sure there’d be time… there was.
They seemed to work fine though I had to adjust some of the arms positions from where I’d had them to compensate for the spring clips… and the felts I used were a little too thick… my 16″ cymbal blew the clip off twice during the first set but I had thinner felts ready just in case and the rest seemed to hold just fine…
Musically it was a night to remember!! Mikey D was on vacation so we had Joe Vivianno from The Accents on lead trumpet… AND managed to coax Justin out of retirement for a night… always great to see him and his family. Joe did a superb job… It was a fun night with a small but partying crowd…
On our break I was making some adjustments to the booms and clips when someone tapped me on the shoulder and it was Steve – bass player (also) from the Accents (and years ago with Lois & the Kryptonites)… he came up to tell me the band sounded great and that he’d heard a drum fill that caught his ear in one of the songs and was looking to see who the drummer was – said he’d forgot that I was playing with FE… 🙂
Throughout the night I noticed another guy – a young guy (hell – at this point they’re ALL young guys to me) out in front of the band then over on the side who appeared to be watching me… I didn’t think anymore of it and when we were all done I started packing when someone spoke to me and I looked up and here was this nice kid named Dennis telling me how much he loved my playing and the sound of the kit… we had a nice chat and he excused himself so I could finish packing but it was nice to hear.
Night after night I wonder if my playing is making any sort of difference to the audience or the band… or if it’s even being heard some nights… why do I still drive 30,000+ miles a year and hoist what sometimes feels like a ton of gear in and out of places that seem ill-prepared for entertainment and endure the constant pain in my back and neck and fingers and wrists and feet and knees?? Then a couple guys are nice enough to take the time to stop up and tell me how much they liked something and it makes it all worthwhile… THAT’S why!!!
March 30 – a last minute call to cover for another band at Van Slyck’s in the Rivers Casino… this date had red flag written all over it…
I had tickets to see the Jo Mama Band reunion concert… know the guys and love Phil Camp’s original music… hate that I’m missing the show… Nick is out of town on Spring Break so we have a sub on keys but something happened and we had to replace the replacement just a week before so we have Andy formerly of Mirk & the New Familiars… Mikey D is in Florida and we don’t know when he’ll be rolling in or what shape he’ll be in… then the day before came the sad news that Rocco’s Dad had taken a serious turn and they were keeping him on ventilation until other family members could make their way from Alaska so no Rocco… we persuaded Justin to make another appearance and pulled in Kevin from the Refrigerators so we’ll be horn heavy BUT still down 2 vocals… I’m prepared to jump in and try to cover anything I can… if they’ll let me… All this before we’ve even arrived at the venue… so how did it go??
I arrived 3 hours early of course and scored the most ideal parking spot – right across from the door where we load in… I went in and let security know I was there as instructed… made my way to Van Slyke’s to discover the house kit from NYE!! Oh Hell!! This is a permanent thing!! Yes – being able to arrive 90 minutes later then pack a few things and leave in 10 minutes at the end of the night are nice changes… and the Tama drums aren’t bad, but the cymbals are terrible and mine were buried in the van (one of the last things to come out during a regular load in)… And I don’t pack stands since moving to my Stealth rack system so I couldn’t add to them… Next time (now that I know) I’ll bring my cymbals and a stand or two… Don’t get me wrong, I am very grateful to Rivers for providing the kit as I’m sure Josh and Jay (bass and guitar) appreciate the amps provided, but I really miss my kit and given the option would rather use my full setup and all that it entails.
—
As for the night itself… I talked with Mikey D and he thought my being ready to fill-in whatever missing vocals I could was a good idea so I broke out the vocal mic!! I’d only used it a few times previously before scrapping my vocals altogether because the drum bleed caused it to be essentially removed from the mix… I always have it with me – packed in its road case but it’s been bounced around a little so I was a little concerned but a fresh battery and I was up and running!! It was fun to throw in some harmonies… and I know they were heard because Mike spun around a couple times and smiled at me… mission accomplished!!
Kevin and Andy both did well filling in and it was fun to have Justin up there again…
The night started off slow – just a handful of people in the lounge… I wondered if this is the norm or if it was just us… but from the first song on people were dancing and the room soon filled up and by the end of the night you could just about move!!
We opened the 3rd set with Sabrina’s rendition of House of the Rising Sun – dedicated to Rocco and his Dad as this was one of his favorites…
All in all it went well… I think we’re back a couple times before NYE 2018 – hopefully with our regular line up (and my cymbals) so we can really shake the place up a little.
April 6 – FE was scheduled to return to Renaissance in Schenectady but we got a call from them a couple weeks ago saying they were ceasing all evening entertainment and food service – only continuing their Sunday Brunch just to keep their liquor license current while they ‘battled the city’ over something. We’ll have to wait and see how that shakes out…
I was happy for the night off as it gave me a chance to head for Johnstown for calling hours for Rocco’s dad…
April 7 – our final visit to Hunter Mountain for 2018 for the annual (now Bud Light sponsored) beach party. Thankfully the weather was iffy enough that they moved us inside due to the threat of snow and ice and dropping temperatures.
Rocco was attending the funeral and no subs were available to make the trip so he hired a sound company… Jeff (Apex Sound) had us sounding amazing!!
I’m not sure if it was the sponsor switch from Vita Coco to Bud Light but the partying faithful was definitely more like a bar crowd than the family type crowds we’re used to. Great party though and we made some new fans – even down a key member!!
April 14 – back to full strength and all the current members on hand we hit Crooked Lake House for our first wedding of the year. We were a little concerned about the threat of sleet, freezing rain and some significant icing!! At midday it was still blue sky and sunshine but I could feel the temperature starting to dive… It was an amazing party!! People packed the dance floor from the first note to the last!! Everyone was all smiles the end of the night so we knew we’d done our job well.
I didn’t see any precipitation until about exit 8 on I-87… by exit 11 it was freezing on the window but the roads were still fine… by exit 15 the rain was steady and the roads were wet but not slippery – probably because crews were already out treating them. By the time I got home it was all sleet and looked like it had snowed. Tomorrow is supposed to be worse but I’m not planning on leaving the house… as long as the power stays on… 🙂
Next up – the opening to the Birch Hill Concert Series with FE, Skeeter Creek and the Audiostars!! I’d be excited if anyone knew what was going on with it… Apparently the person behind the series was fired a while back and those that remain haven’t got a clue!! As of a few days ago there was no sound company, no lights, all three drummers are apparently bringing their own kits – that will fill a stage… AND they’ve only sold about 150 tickets in a 600+ seat venue… Has the makings of a lovely disaster if you ask me and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the whole thing gets cancelled by mid-week.
April 20 – well I’m happy to say that I was wrong and the kickoff to the Birch Hill Concert Series went a thousand times better than I had expected!! The load in was a little rough… ‘use the loading dock but don’t use the stairs’… I think I pulled several muscles lifting my wheeled cases chest high to get on the dock but I made it. Later I discovered a level path through the kitchen where I could have ROLLED everything in as usual which I sure as Hell used to go out… 🙂
Shortly after I started setting up who should walk in but Leo – Skeeter Creek’s sound guy… I said previously this whole thing was a disorganized mess and Leo confirmed he didn’t know he had the sound gig until the previous day… It wasn’t long before Shaun Blackmer of True Grit Outlaws arrived – he had the lighting duties for the night.
We soon got word that ticket sales were up over 280 which was slightly more than respectable all things considered…
The ‘stage’ was a hodgepodge of different riser pieces and varying levels and I had to adjust some bases on my rack to get the kit to fit on what served as the drum riser but I managed. I polished up and tuned up and hoped the other drummers would like playing on my kit… I really didn’t think anyone would do any serious damage to anything…
Chris Toma (Motion blur and Parkway Music) was filling in on drums with the Audiostars and was the first drummer to arrive… he looked the kit over and asked if I wanted him to use his cymbals… I told him to do whatever made him comfortable… 🙂 He uses a lot of the same Kasza cymbals so he only had to setup his giant ride cymbal because he plays it on the opposite side from mine.
As start time approached I still wondered about the performance order but figured we’d be first because the Audiostars and Skeeter Creek are ‘headliners’ but it turned out that the Audiostars would open the show because they were rewiring everything into their own mixing board… makes no difference to me – I have to stay all night anyway since everyone’s using my drums… 🙂
Speaking of which… it was nice to finally hear my kit from out front and through a big PA… I can never tell if my tuning method works or not… it sounds good to me when I do it and when I doodle around for sound check but it was nice to finally get some feeling that maybe I have half an idea of what I’m doing… the toms sounds big and ‘fat’ and the snare had a sweet snare sound with a good crack to it… and the kick was dry and punchy…
Chris played a great set and was grateful for my providing the kit and making an easy night for him… for me it was great to hear the kit and especially Chris play for the first time… he’s a super guy and really nice player!!
FE was up next and, though no one said it out loud, I think we all felt like we had something to prove to some degree and it showed. This wasn’t our crowd at all… about the only people we recognized were a small contingent from the wedding we’d played the week prior… Near the end of Audiostar’s set Josh (our bass player) turned to me and commented that he was a little concerned as he surveyed the crowd… Just then a group of women headed for the dance floor stopped at our table to say, “We can’t wait to hear you guys – you’re so good!!” Josh looked at me and said, “Maybe it’ll be alright…” 🙂
I have to say that I thought we played a kick-ass set despite Sabrina and Rocco both losing their voices by the end – no doubt from trying to carry on conversations during the previous band’s set… Time to turn the stage over to SK but I still hadn’t seen their drummer…
As I was cleaning up my accessory table and my in-ears and retuning the snare drum that had loosened slightly under Chris’ playing a tall guy in a Tama t-shirt came on stage and said, “Dude – what an animal you are!! So effortless!! I’m Jeff…” This was Jeff Dudwoire – SK’s new drummer… very nice guy and I couldn’t wait to hear him play (and my kit again)…
We cut our set a little short so SK could hopefully start on time… they had everything in place and checked and cleared the stage… and we waited… and waited… no one was sure why but I suspect it was for their dramatic entrance…
They warned us ahead of time that they might run a little past the 11:30 end time… maybe 11:45 or even 12:00… Jay, Josh and I stood around as they continued to 12:00…12:10… 12:20… it was almost 12:30 when they closed their set. Jeff was solid – especially for as new as he was to the band… tasty and dynamic… He thanked me for the use of the drums and told me my kit ‘played real easy’ which was good to hear… 🙂
All in all it was a great evening… successful to the point where they plan on continuing the series outdoors if the weather ever starts cooperating. And I firmly believe that FE got the sweet spot in the lineup… the crowd steadily grew during Audiostars set with the late arrivers rolling in… the audience had to be close to 500 during our set… but steadily thinned out during the extended SK set to around 100 or so by the end of the night. Hopefully we made some new fans and friends.
April 21 – Rocco’s homecoming as FE makes it’s debut in his hometown of Gloversville at the Glove Performing Arts Center. We weren’t sure what to expect for a crowd other than Rocco’s family… we knew Jeff – the sound guy – was rock solid as he mixed us at Hunter Mountain in Rocco’s absence and just met Rob from Starving Artist Productions who was providing the lighting… BOTH absolutely nailed it on this night!!!
I think at peak we might have had 20 people counting the folks from Ghost Hunters who were investigating the theatre but the band was at the top of their game – easily one of the best nights we’d played as a group in a while… what a great time!!
I did some 2 track audio and more testing with the GoPro… Here are some samples..
Separate Ways——-Shake Your Body
featuring Sabrina Gogan
Ceiling Can’t Hold Us
featuring Josh Mlodzianowski
Brick House
Featuring Nick Marotta
–
And a few more pre-show pictures…
April 27 – back to Centre Street Pub… would the weather cooperate so we could break in the huge patio? …would anyone show up at all?? Well, no… and no.
It was supposed to be sunny and upper 50’s during the day and mid-40’s at night… what we got was maybe 50 and rain… all day… all night… (Maryann)… That means we’re inside which means waiting for them to remove tables and chairs from the band area… the last couple of times we’ve ended up starting the process ourselves before anyone realizes we’re trying to setup because we have about 90 minutes before they expect us to start…
Tonight was the worst yet!! 6:00 – no movement which I’ve come to expect… they want to wait until 7:00… fine. That just means that when the rest of the band starts rolling in I usually still have cases open and spread out around my setup. On this night though, with the place half empty, they chose to seat people at the tables in the band area… at 7:30 their food came out!! It was almost 8:30 when we were finally allowed to start setting up for a 9:00 start… rather than politely ask the party of 4 to relocate with their sodas and pizza to any number of other open tables they decided to force a late start for us which cost them a large group that was part of a retirement party that was there earlier who didn’t want to wait until 9:30 (or later) to hear us.
I’ve said it before but the vibe in this place is totally different than in years past… one of the security guys said there is a lot of new competition in the area so things may turn around after that novelty wears off… one of my band mates pointed out that the current staff doesn’t seem ‘invested’ like the previous staff – everyone’s going through motions but no one seems to really care about anything. Too bad – it was a little seedy but charismatic and always crowded… Maybe next time we’ll be able to christen the patio – then we’ll see if the crowds return.
—
May 5 – FE has a couple ‘firsts’… our first visit to Kiernan Plaza on Broadway in Albany and our first time playing the Headmasters Gala for the St. Gregory’s School.
Looking at the satellite and street views I had the feeling the load in would be a challenge here… It’s another Mazzone bank conversion and they typically have little or no parking near the venue… I could see that there was virtually no parking on the street near the entrance and our contact said we could come in the front where there were ‘a couple stairs’… There was a loading dock with a ramp on the side but we were told the florist would have that tied up… That was early on so I was pretty sure it would be open when I arrived early afternoon… On the way I passed two large Mazzone trucks and knew right where they were going… I arrived, the loading area had room for me but before I could start unloading those two trucks came rolling in so I quickly jumped back in the van and parked on the opposite side of the street in front of the building… plan B… I’ll take my clothes in and scout the location…
It took several minutes for me to find the room… turns out the venue is actually on the SECOND floor!! And those ‘couple of stairs’ in the front turned out to be a full blown two-way marble staircase… There was an identical stair case to the rear where I could see the parking garage where I had planned to park… I went down for a closer look and there’s a small elevator that only goes between the venue floor and ground level… perfect!! A very nice security guard told me that I could load in through there and that parking in the garage on the weekend was usually free… THANK YOU!! I’m heading for the garage!! As luck would have it on this day I was able to pull right into a spot opposite the ramp… WHEW!!
I started moving in and began asking where the band would be setting up and no one had a clue… I continued moving and asking – by then Rocco had arrived and decided to double park at the loading dock as the freight elevator was his only hope. Shortly thereafter I found the banquet manager and was directed to an area in the end of the hall where they would try to fit the band… after moving a few tables and a 3-piece couch we squeezed ourselves into a corner and prepared for the evening ahead.
It was a very nice group but by the time they finished dinner, speeches and an auction we only had time for a 90 minute set before calling it a night… Mazzone’s people told us it was a hard 10:30 stop though our contract (and the photo booth) said 11:00… odd night… a few people spoke to us… at peak, maybe 10 or 15 danced… and I don’t recall hearing a single smattering of applause all night… this is what I remember a typical Albany private affair to be like…
—
—
Well we had fun anyway…
—
May 12 – FE returns to Van Slyck’s in the Rivers Casino – once again without Nick (I think he’s holding a grudge after all the security and crap they made him go through to prove his age just so he could play there previously)… on this night we were joined by Bruce from the Refrigerators!! Bruce did a great job and said he had more fun than he thought he would… I’m still trying to figure out what he meant…
The place was jammed and we had a blast but I have to say that, while I love being able to show up 90 minutes early as opposed to 3 hours and be packed and on the road in 10 minutes the end of the night, I would still much prefer the added work and time necessary to play my own kit… 🙂
—
—
May 25 – at last… FE has an outdoor performance and the weather is incredible!! Bright sun… mid 80’s… beautiful!! Tonight we kicked off the OnTap Patio concert series.
Last year it was cold and rainy and we were relocated to the Gazebo room where a small crowd seemed to enjoy the show. That audience included a representative of the NY State Police who then hired us to perform at their 100th anniversary gala – what an honor!!
On this night though that patio started filling up before we finished setting up!! We hoped that was a good sign… it was. Throughout the first set there was a seemingly endless parade of OnTap staff bringing out more table… and chairs… and tables… and more chairs… The place was jammed!! On this night we were joined by members of Fly 92 and B 95.5 (one of FE’s sponsors) and the audience included a number of familiar faces including my good friend Tom (from our band Voyager and golfing days) and MudCat from the AGAD bass line!! They were the icing on the cake for me… 🙂
—
May 26 – our first wedding of the year at Saratoga National and what a party it was!!
The bride and groom chose to focus on a good time rather than the more traditional itinerary so after the bride’s father finished his speech we launched into what was supposed to be two mini sets and the dance floor packed from note one!! We were only able to play a few songs because the servers were unable to get through the revelers so we were forced to cut it short then proceeded to enjoy each other’s company for a couple hours while we waited for dinner to be served… another single dance set night due to the time it took to get the guests served dinner and the hard stop the end of the night which has become the norm… most of the venues we play no longer allow parties to be extended – perhaps because of liability from guests drinking too much or a reluctance to pay staff any overtime… it’s something that seems to get worse each year… venues apparently make more money from food rather than beverages and up-sell 4, 5 and even 6 course meals then spend the bulk of the reception time serving them and leaving very little actual party time. FE has been fortunate that our clients recognize that it’s not our fault but we still feel bad because we charge X amount – primarily because we have to be there so far in advance to be setup before anyone arrives – then we sit around most of the party waiting for meals to conclude and the OK to play.
The place did look great…
June 1-2 – FE Marathon Weekend 2018!! Well that’s what I’ve come to call it…
June 1st… up around 5:00am… eat dress and off to the day job as usual…
Arrive at Centre Street Pub around 5:45pm and hope for a parking spot to open up… then watch the radar… we want to play outside but there are storms popping up and moving through all around us… they have a tent BUT it’s not over the stage and when it rains all the water runs off the rest of the patio to the area they placed the tent… anything on the ground is drenched!! On this night there was one nasty blob of rain on radar that looked like it could graze us then we thought we’d be good for the rest of the night… They were pushing for the tent but there was a birthday party going on so it would be just like playing inside – wait for the party to leave so table and chairs could be moved… Rocco and I decided to take our chances on the stage.
He brought a bunch of tarps… good thing because as our start time got closer a bad storm was going through just north of our position… we could see the ominous black clouds and feel the wind pick up… we covered everything just in case and it soon started to rain but not hard. I stood guard and held tarps in place over my kit and Nick’s keyboards as there’d be a gust every so often that would displace everything… but after about 10-15 minutes everything seemed to settle and we removed the tarps and proceeded to have the kind of party that reminds us why we love playing there. Another storm appeared on radar about half way through the night but it too went around us.
When we finished I had to decide between hurrying up and packing so I could drive an hour home and have time to sit around for an hour before driving an hour back to setup for the Freihofer run… Why spend 2 hours on the road unnecessarily?? I took my time… packed and loaded… hit the bathroom (like you need to know that) then took a leisurely drive down Route 5 from Schenectady to downtown Albany then cut over to State Street to park next to the Capitol East Park and wait to load in. On the way over I realized just how lucky we must have been in Schenectady as all the roads were soaked – even flooded in some spots!! It must have rained like hell all around us!!
June 2nd… I arrived about 3:00 am (hour 22 for those tracking the marathon)… I wanted to let the overnight security know I was there and after a few minutes I spotted a pair of golf carts patrolling the grounds but no one headed my way so I placed my parking permit in the window, put on my event pass, kicked off my sneakers and relaxed for a couple hours… I think I nodded off for about 15 minutes at one point but by then daylight was breaking. I watched a few videos, ate the breakfast I had packed, shaved and waited until about 5:45 and still no signs of gate security so I rolled all me gear into the stage – only a couple hundred feet away…
I knew the good folks from Live Sound Inc. would be arriving around 6:00am. They prepped the stage and gave me the green light to start setting up. I was finished around 7:30, headed back to the van to change shirts and freshen up a bit… by then we could do a mix check on the drums… It only took a few minutes for them to dial me in and before I knew it the rest of the group made their way in.
The stage was in a slightly different location this year… usually I’m right under General Sheridan’s horse’s ass and facing up the steps of the Capitol where people would sit and the whole thing had kind of an ‘amphitheater’ feel… This year the stage was right up against those steps and the steps were closed altogether… we were facing the statue of General Sheridan and looking down the State Street hill… it was different but seemed to work out OK… I DID like that this put the rear of the stage closer to the ground which meant lugging my gear up and down only half as many stairs… it still wasn’t fun but it was a little easier.
Sabrina snagged this shot just before we started… Oddly enough it turned cold just before we started!! It was very comfortable when I got there at 3:00am but at about 8:00am it clouded up and felt dramatically different – at least low 60’s…
—
I ran (no pun intended) into a number of women from school who ran the race which was fun but one of the high points of the day was being joined on stage by Jay’s (guitar) 12 year old daughter Ava who played bass on ‘What’s Going On’!! She did an amazing job!! And I think Dad enjoyed it too… 🙂
While waiting to play our second show Mikey D had to suddenly leave… his son was having some sort of allergic reaction to eggs and his wife was on the way to Albany Med with him… we’re pleased to say that he was home and doing fine later in the day. So we played the last set minus a trumpet and a vocal but by then the place is usually clearing out anyway and we made it through just fine. And the temperature had shot back into the 80’s making it very sticky…
Everyone packed and was on their way home to rest up before the next gig except Rocco who headed to Saratoga to setup PA for our sister band Evo 2 at Gaffney’s… I took charge of Mikey D’s gear so I’d know where that was… As for my rig, I’d spent days going over alternatives in my head but there was just good solution other than packing everything as usual then unpacking it again a few blocks away.
I was loaded and on the road as planed at about 1:00pm (hour 32). AC!! Where’s the AC button?!? I debated eating some lunch now and my mouth tasted like I had swallowed my socks (yes – I was drinking water and staying hydrated) but I drove down the State Street hill, turned on to S. Pearl which was blocked off at the TU, made my way around the block and into a preferred parking space they had reserved for me (thank you!!), checked in with the guys from Aces Sound who green lighted me to load in so lunch and a drink would have to wait. About this time Mikey D called looking for his horn and wireless mic and a parking spot – he was on his way back to join us.
By 2:45 I was setup and finished a prolonged drum sound check – these guys had my kit sounding huge and absolutely fabulous!! I headed for the van, some AC, a drink and a sandwich – nothing too heavy an hour or so right before showtime on a very hot afternoon.
The rest of the guys started rolling in – including Tim from ‘Cryin’ Out Loud’ who was filling in on bass for Josh and did an amazing job!! This was his second time with FE and I think he really enjoyed himself because he kept telling us to call him anytime… 🙂
By the end of the show the block was packed and I think we’d may some new fans…
—
And we were joined by the Albany Empire mascot who it turns out plays a solid tambourine!!
This afternoon was one of the best shows we’ve played…
I started breaking down when a whole crew of Aces staff showed up… it looked like a fire drill and I definitely felt like I was in the way (thanks)… I packed and made my way down the stairs as quick as I could and Sabrina was nice enough to stand guard by my gear while I finished on stage. By the time I finished and rolled towards the van I was blinded by sweat but drowning in the feeling that I had just played two kick-ass shows back to back – hopefully proving once again that old dudes rock harder!! 🙂
On the road again around 7:30pm (hour 38.5).
I was home, unpacked, showered and (finally) heading for bed just after 8:30 – ending FE Marathon 2018 at just under 40 straight hours.
June 6 – the beginning of one of the most important weeks of my life (since getting married)…
We kicked things off tonight with the Queensbury School Senior Awards ceremony… We got word that Selena was indeed getting something but didn’t know what but were very proud when she received the Attorney General’s Triple C Award!! No scholarships but a tremendous honor non the less…
June 7 – AGAD made what has become an annual visit to the Thursday evening Burnt Hills Flag Day Parade. A warm-up for the big reunion corps now only 2 days away!!
Down a couple basses but up a cymbal AND a couple snares as we were joined by AG alums Ray Van Alstyne, Neil McBride and Bill Bunyon all the way from Carolina!!
—
Of course we had the usual first responders to contend with… right on our butts and blowing sirens and horns… This time it was so bad that at one break Dan (1st bass) went back and actually said something to them!! This helped for a while but as we got closer to the end it picked up again… I’m sure the kids love it but try concentrating with that crap blasting in your ears… 🙂
June 8 – Avant Garde Reunion Corps uniform distribution and mandatory rehearsal!!
June 9 – the big day!! Something I’ve waited 43 years for – to march as a member of the Avant Garde Drum & Bugle Corps!!
We began checking in at 9:00am… checking equipment, suiting up and preparing to take the shuttles over to where we would line up for the parade… Before we left, the new banner was unveiled and the corps picture was taken…
I’ll have more pictures and video up as soon as I finish sifting through them because there is a TON!! 🙂
Funk Evolution was originally booked Friday at Dango’s and Saturday at Renaissance but they cancelled us again (I have the feeling the place is close to shutting down altogether)… PERFECT!! I had a sub for Friday in case the dress rehearsal ran long and could now enjoy some time with the corps after the parade and exhibition!!
But, of course, Dango’s finds out we’re available Saturday and moves us from Friday to Saturday and the sub I had lined up can’t do Saturday… FINE!! At least they’re all in Saratoga… Then I start hearing talk of some of the drumline coming to Dango’s after the corps banquet… this could be fun… turned out to be AMAZING!!!
Just when I thought the day couldn’t get any better… There had to be over 30 corps members at Dango’s and they let their presence be known by dancing up a storm and getting lots of pictures!! Some familiar faces but many I only recognized from the parade and rehearsals and sadly haven’t learned their names (there was over 150 members)… It was off the wall by the last set and went over the top when we invited Tony Gambaro (NY Players AND AG alum) to join us!!
I think this post that appeared on Facebook the next day sums it up…
June 10 – as if this weekend couldn’t get any better… today we had my daughter’s graduation / birthday party!! I’ll have more on that on the We Are Family page which is still very much under construction…
June 15 – FE was thrilled to be asked back to the Lake George Friday Band and Brews / Friday Bands in the Park, etc… This year we were honored to be part of Law Enforcement Officers weekend which includes bringing in families of officers killed in the line of duty for a free getaway weekend in Lake George.
It was a beautiful afternoon and evening though it got a little chilly by the end…
I had heard from a number of people that they’d be attending… some I spotted and was able to talk to, others I didn’t see so I’m not sure they actually made it or not… then there were a number of surprises which is always great.
Probably the biggest surprise was seeing AG alum and photographer Brian Haynes and his wife who works with me at school!! Brian did an amazing job on my daughter’s senior portrait pictures and shot these images of the band that night… THANK YOU!!
June 21 – one of the many great things to come out of FE’s weekend at Turning Stone last year was to be invited to open the 3 day Utica Summerfest on Genesee Street – right in downtown Utica!! We weren’t sure how they were going to pull this off… all we knew for sure was that they were closing the street down at 2:00 but we should be able to pull up right behind the stage to unload and we started at 4:30…
I rolled in about 1:30 and made several trips around the block – eventually stopping to ask a DPW crewman where I might find the stage… he said they were rolling it in at 2:00 and I was at the spot and there were some parking spots open on the side streets – directing me to one that would have worked out perfectly. By the time I got around the block again it was taken… by JAY!! Then I realized that Josh had been tailing me for the last 20 minutes… excellent!! The people that need to haul gear in and out are all here early!!
I noticed what looked like an open spot just across the intersection from where they were dropping the stage and managed to snag it. This wouldn’t be a bad load as long as I stayed in the street for about 150 – 200 feet from the van to the stage (without getting ticketed for jaywalking)… 🙂
The guys from Finelli Sound were already there and began unloading the truck while we all awaited the stage… I handed them our stage plot to which one replied ‘thanks for the intel’ and I knew this would be a good group to work with…
Then a good sized white box was spotted coming down Genesee Street and I heard someone say ‘here comes the stage’… which turned out to be pretty impressive!!
About half a semi trailer long when it rolled up… another DPW guy towing it with a pickup swung it into perfect position and separated it from the truck then I watched in amazement as this thing appeared to almost level itself!! Then the front side opened up producing two additional pieces – all hydraulically – to create an extension to the stage doubling the size from front to back AND a roof over it as well!!
Two guys set the front feet of the extension and locked them into position… then another crew came through and decorated it with several ferns!! This thing was really a piece of work!!
Looking back, this made perfect sense along with everything else I’d seen… then various vendor trailers… the beer vendors who also put out numerous high top tables for people to congregate at (but no sign of Schultz & Dooley for those of you old enough to remember them)… 🙂
Speaking of ‘congregate’… the show was put on hold for about 10 minutes while a strolling Baptist choir made its way up Genesee Street to sort of christen the festivities…
—
There was a kid’s section in front of the office buildings and a variety of great food and beverages… everything right down to the high end porta-potties indicated these folks knew how to put on something like this and do it right!!
The only part that had me concerned was that we played until 8:00 and were told the street had to be reopened by 9:00 leaving me only an hour to tear down and load!!
I can usually be packed in an hour and I didn’t have to run any of my mics or cables so I knew that would help but I had visions of myself rolling gear back to my van the other side of the intersection after the road was open and resembling FROGGER!!
As it turned out the sound crew retrieved their gear and vacated the stage as did Jay and Josh… and eventually Nick… the horns and Sabrina were probably home in their jammies by the time I finished packing… As for me – the police were taking down the barricades behind the stage and allowed me to drive right in to load up and with that I was packed, loaded and back on the thruway at 8:53 – just over 50 minutes!! Two hours later I was home but not without a slight detour…
While traveling the thruway I noticed that the bugs seemed heavier than usual… it looked like snow in spots because they were so thick!! After close to an hour I was unable to get my windshield cleaned and decided to jump off at Fonda and hit the Stewart’s for a beverage and scrape the window…
The next day I could see the front of the van riddled with hundreds and hundreds of bug victims!! A trip to the car wash was long overdue… it was pretty quiet when I arrived as it was sprinkling rain but not enough for them to close… a lone kid running everything waved me in and took my money… usually they point the pressure washer at the car as it’s going by but this kid must have seen all the bugs and spent a good few minutes on the front end and the backs of my mirrors. I really appreciated that but couldn’t catch him before I was dragged inside so when I was done I drove around the building and got out. As I was walking towards him I could see he was probably wondering what this old bastard was going to bitch at him for… I told him ‘that was a lot of bugs’, smiled, thanked him and handed him $5… he may still be in shock… 🙂
Anyway, I hope Utica invites us back – great people!!
June 22 – a very special day… today our daughter graduated from high school!!
Of course FE had a gig that night – their debut at Gaffney’s in Saratoga… this was an important show for the band and I felt bad about missing it but there was no way I’d miss graduation so former drummer Dave Teta was good enough to cover for me – thank you, Dave!! As it turned out there was a scheduling snafu and FE was supposed to play the West Glens Falls Firemen’s Festival… Rocco scrambled and rescheduled Gaffney’s… Nick (keys) was also out that night to attend his brother’s graduation and who should be subbing on keys but my friend and former Upstart band mate Matt Donnelly!! And Josh M was out for his brother’s bachelor party so this was the Swiss cheese version of FE to say the least. I’d told Rocco that as soon as the ceremony was over and I was able to get Mom home I would stop at the festival…
The band started at 8:00… graduation started at 7:00 and ran like clockwork… speeches, musical numbers, awards and 280 diplomas to hand out – all done in just under 2 hours!! I guess they’ve done this a few times…
—
I got Mom out of the Cool Arena, retrieved my car, got her home and rolled into Firemen’s Field just before 10:00 and could hear the band and Rocco’s latest purchase – two high end state-of-the-art sub woofers… the same ones they use in the new Dallas Cowboys stadium… Dallas has 8 for their entire stadium and Rocco has 2 just for FE… 🙂
There were more people there than I remembered from previous visits and I spotted Rocco off to the side mixing the band… he said they were going to stop for awards then he wanted me to play some – lots of people had been asking where I was… Aaaahhh – AWARDS… all these people were waiting for the awards.
I greeted everyone, thanked Dave then changed into a t-shirt as I was fairly overdressed… I finished the night with the band on Dave’s kit as the audience dwindled down to a loyal few… and then the mother of all rarities, I was able to get up and go home while everyone else packed and loaded and spent an hour on the road. As nice as that may have felt in the moment, I wouldn’t trade my big kit, the lifting and setting up and tearing down and the driving and driving and driving (about 20-30,000 mile each year with this group) for anything!!
June 22 – FE returns to Freedom Park in Scotia!! We were so thrilled when they finally invited us and look forward to it every year but once, just once, I would like to have nice weather… it seems like it is always questionable, raining off and on or worse… like last year when severe storms were rolling through the area… the website says they cancel in case of ‘violent weather’ but last year a tree was struck by lightning just across the river… and the show still went on!!
This year it was one of those light showers / hit-and-miss and chilly kind of days (chilly enough for me to break out my cap) but the weather people were saying it should be drying out during the evening though still cool… it poured on the way down… drizzled as I started unloading but was dry throughout the night and the larger-than-usual-for-an-iffy-weather-night crowd bundled themselves up and seemed to really enjoy themselves and us… and we had a blast!! It’s only a 90 minute show so there’s no reason to hold back… 🙂
AND… we had a special guest… Josh M was still recovering / returning from his brother’s bachelor party so who should appear on alto but our great friend and recent retiree Justin Godlewski!! He was right at home – never missing a beat even on material he hadn’t played before… it was like he’d never left… 🙂
I have to sub mix parts of my kit because they have such a small board with limited channels so I had more gear out than usual but, after greeting a lot of friends and family who came, I was still packed in just over an hour… of course it started raining again while I was loading… 🙂
We will always look forward to coming here and hope that one year we get a break in the weather and can entertain one of the larger crowds like we see other places…
—
June 29 – it was FE’s extreme honor to be the entertainment of choice for the 3rd year in a row at the American Cancer Society’s Red, White and Blue Party!! This is a huge fundraiser and fabulous party held at Saratoga National each year. My first thought was the weather…
The first year it looked great then poured on us twice during the night but even that couldn’t dampen the spirits of these good people – we kept playing and they kept dancing!! It cleared off for the remainder of the party then the skies opened up just as we were loading out…
Last year the weather looked so bad that the decision was to move it into the ballroom… This created a unique situation for us because we were scheduled to play at a wedding in that same room the next day… At the end of the night we just had to pick up and move everything to the other side of the room!!
This year however the biggest question mark concerned the temperature as the area was in the midst of an extended period of hot and humid days with temps over 90. It had to be almost that when I arrived to setup and I was thrilled to see a tent over the stage… aaaah – SHADE!!
I was out of the blazing sun BUT they had the sides and back still on the tent… after finagling my way around the paths that were too narrow to roll equipment through (and walking head first – not once but TWICE – into a large TV they had mounted on a stand right next to the stage) I began to setup and came to understand why in ‘Cool Hand Luke’ they would sentence him to ‘the box’ during the day… it had to be over 100 inside the enclosed tent with no way for a breeze to get through… I was almost setup and drenched in sweat when Rocco arrived and made the executive decision to remove at least the sides and open the back so he could get the PA gear through. Eventually we removed the back too… there were some occasional wind gusts that would blow the rear panel well into the stage and knock things over so it just wouldn’t work. Now we were totally open air… the sun was still beating on our backs but the breeze coming through made it very comfortable.
This was a good thing because this was a pretty swanky party… in the days leading up to it there was on ongoing string of texts among the band as to what to wear – many pushing for polo shirts… REALLY?!? Because it’s at a golf course you think that would be appropriate?!? Or as it just for your own comfort?? Maybe I’m just too old school (or just becoming a grumpy old man) but for me it’s never been about my personal comfort… I was thrilled that we weren’t required to wear dress jackets though, despite the heat, many gents in attendance were. I was totally comfortable in my long sleeve shirt and tie and didn’t even sweat through it… and we were playing hard… 🙂
As part of the festivities there were a number of special vehicles providing photo ops… some of us could resist a picture next to a gorgeous blue Lamborghini…
—
—
—
June 30 – FE makes an annual visit to one of my favorite outdoor venues – the beautiful patio at Firestone 151 in downtown Schenectady!!
I was a little concerned when I pulled up and there wasn’t a soul on the patio… usually this is packed to capacity or more and we have to wait for customers to finish and tables and chairs to be relocated… today, it was just the tables and chairs…
But it was hot… excessively hot… still well over 90 and sticky just as they had promised!! I found the owner and he said we were going to play the patio and hope for a turnout. And they’re trying the bands in a different location on the lower level… I liked it because that meant only one small step to hop to get to playing level… piece of cake.
Once I loaded in and started setting up with the sun beating down on me (and my first of several bottles of water in hand) I got a little bonus… there was a tiny tree just behind where I was setting up which happened to be in just the right spot to provide shade!! I had the foresight to wear a light colored shirt which quickly became drenched but I took my time, kept drinking and soon the sun had disappeared behind a building leaving just a hot, sticky night ahead… for whatever reason, maybe because my muscles seem to loosen up a little more, hot and sticky is just the way I like it!! I jumped in the back of the equipment truck and changed into one of my (dry) red T’s which seemed appropriate for a hot evening.
The patio eventually gained a crowd – perhaps more than the establishment or us had expected and a crazy party ensued. We’d been seeing these trolley type shuttles going by all night – stopping a few times to let people off at 151… But shortly after we started our last set a school bus pulled up and stopped on the street… I couldn’t see who was in it but it sat there through a song or two then disappeared… turned out to be the after party from a wedding!! They had all gotten off and joined the party – packing the dance floor and patio (and bar)!! We had to stop at midnight but I’m sure they would have gone another hour easily… I was game but I guess that was just me… or Schenectady has a different view or ordinance in place… 🙂 It was a great time… too bad we only get to play there once a year because we are fortunate enough to book most of our summer pretty early…
In other news… I’ve had my eye on a Kasza China cymbal for a few months and finally had the extra cash to snag it!! I’ve loved all their other cymbals but this one didn’t seem to have the presence or attack I was hoping for… I have a few chances to try it again this coming week so we’ll have to wait to see what the final verdict is…
Also on this night… Josh was grabbing live tracks off the board and I tried something different with the GoPro – getting a wide-angle shot of the entire band from the back!!
Here are some samples from early in the night with a quick and dirty mixdown (I love having the actual tracks to play with)… 🙂
July 4 – Happy 4th of July!!
—
FE had the extreme pleasure of being the featured act at the finish line of the 12th Annual Firecracker 4 road race in Saratoga!!
The 8:30am start meant a 5:30am setup… I’d been perpetrating a running joke in our band email saying I was at the location days ahead of time but there was no stage… same the day before… But on the day of the race I was up at 4:30am, shit, shaved and showered as they say, grabbed a muffin and an OJ from DD on the way down and arrived right at 5:30am… to an empty street!!
We were told the stage would be setup and ready for 5:30am but there was no sign of it… I was instructed to unload on to the sidewalk south of where the stage was to be positioned then I was able to park in the lot just below. Rocco arrived with the truck about 6:00am… still no sign of a stage… the event staff made several phone calls trying to locate it – one of them telling us that the guy with the stage had told them that for an 8:30 showtime he’d be there about 7:30… about 6:30 they got word that the ‘truck had broke down’ but the stage was on its way. It arrived after 7:00 and the crew quickly set it up and somehow we managed to get everything we own into position and were ready to rock before 8:30!!
And it was hot!! DAMN hot!! Even at that hour of the morning… I was on to my second bottle of water in the first set… the stage provided ample shade for everyone… except me. The sun beat on my back the entire morning and the black shirts they asked us to put on didn’t help (but I love getting a shirt)… And no matter where I tried to hide my water it still tasted more like soup… Yet, even with all that to deal with, I’m still having the time of my life!! 🙂
The audience was very receptive and we were told to keep playing as runners were crossing the finish line which was a unique experience – made even more so by having a bride and groom from a recent wedding in the race and screaming ‘Funk Evolution’ as they crossed the line!! Other racers commented afterwards about how it made the race and the heat bearable and there were people dancing everywhere. All in all it was a great time and I hope they invite us back next year!!
I was pretty spent by the time we finished and tried to keep pace as I could tell the stage guys were anxious to get the stage packed up… so much so that they moved some of my smaller cases off stage for me. I was able to pull up right next to the stage and load out which helped because I was spent!! I melted in AC on the way home and couldn’t wait to get out of those clothes and into a shower (after which I was ready to do it all again).
—
July 6 – FE finally makes their debut on Gaffney’s patio!!
The patio was pretty full when we started but things got off to a rough start – plagued by PA issues once again…
Altogether I was concerned that we might not be able to get everything together in time to win over a Gaffney’s audience with no familiar faces… But it wasn’t long before things seemed to settle in a little and we started clicking by the middle of the set and had the place rockin’!!
It was DJ Tony Platinum’s birthday and he asked if he could start early which meant an 8:00-10:30 night for us!!
Parking, as with most of Saratoga this time of year, is a challenge… I’d been given a heads up that there were a few spots in front of the place that were usually blocked off but if you tell them why you’re there you can usually park there but they were already full. Thankfully, there was room to pull off and unload then I was lucky enough to find an open spot in the library lot where I usually park for Dango’s but I was already wondering how I would get out of there with the DJ thumping and a ton of people…
But Gaffney’s is pretty well organized in this respect… lots of security people and when the time came to leave they had an aisle roped off and created a path through the crowd for us to roll out… I was able to pull right up front and load out… not bad!!
And to top things off… from this one night we booked two weddings!!
July 7 – FE returned to one of our favorite summer venues – the elite Lake George Club (at right) for their Members Only Party!!
Sabrina was out of town so we had Krista filling in on lead vocals… I could tell she was nervous… Overall, she did a fine job and we appreciate all her hard prep work… The weather was perfect and a great time was had by all and thankfully without needing an ambulance this year.
July 13 – FE begins its’ summer residency on the patio at Dango’s on Caroline Street (below)!! 8 weeks of Fridays or Saturdays that are usually off the chain!! And this first night was no exception… bridal parties, birthday parties and just a huge crowd ready to party!!
I was interested to see that this is now referred to as a ‘concert series’ and sponsored by one of our band sponsors…
They pushed us back to a 9:30 start so I made a lap around the block to check out the other entertainers and grab a water… As I was going by Gaffney’s I spotted DJ Tony at the gate and stopped to say ‘Hi’… He went on to say how much he really liked FE and how ‘stoked’ the owner was to try to get us back!! Very cool!! We are back there in October but any summer dates will have to be next year and they’re already going fast… it’s fun to be in demand… 🙂
July 14 – tonight FE returns to the Athens Street Festival and the quips about my falling last year began as soon as I arrived… 🙂 Last year you might recall that I took a hard fall the end of the night…
I had finished packing and I started down the 4 steps off the stage and with my first step slipped, went totally airborne and landed flat on my back at the bottom of the stairs!! This picture is the back of my shirt… my tail bone took the brunt of the fall on the bottom step (below my shirt) and those angled lines are the imprint of each muddy step!!
I was banged up pretty bad – back, wrists, ribs and a mild concussion… It took several months before I would start to feel almost normal and not taking any time off probably made it take longer… my right wrist still isn’t what it used to be – not good for a drummer… 🙁
This year there were no designated golf cart equipment shuttles… Our good friend Gino Nistico was there again this year (he was a huge help in keeping things organized and helping me up and load after my fall)… Gino guided me in through the crowd, backed me in near the stage to unload then I went to find a place to park… worked out fine for me EXCEPT… I’ve been watching the radar and there was a small cell approaching then a second larger one developed out of nowhere behind it… after that it looked like we’d be clear for the rest of the night but how much of my gear do I really want out in the rain?? The stage manager had a case full of tarps and encouraged me to start setting up so I’d be ready for the band changeover…
I had my racks fully assembled but was still weary of taking the drums out when someone suggested that I use the hospitality tent behind the stage… good enough. I started unpacking drums then started seeing lots of people scurrying about… that first cell had arrived!!
We quickly threw a couple tarps over my racks and cases and Josh and Mikey D’s gear as they had arrived just prior to the rain… I knew we’d done the best we could do so the only question was how bad would it get? It rained pretty steady, got a little heavier then seemed to move out after about 10 minutes or so… just enough to give everything a good soaking.
Then band ahead of us finished their set and the announcer informed everyone that there was a storm coming through, it wouldn’t last long and after that there were no storms and they were holding back our start time until the storm had cleared. As for me, Gino and I had a plan – I would start passing my gear up over the back rail of the stage to him on the right side of the drum riser – leaving the stage left path clear for Tim – drummer from the previous band. This worked fabulously!! By the time I had my loose stuff handed up to him the stage and ramp was clear for me to bring my racks up.
As I started piecing everything together I thought I saw lightning out of the corner of my eye… sure enough… within minutes the skies opened up – without mercy this time – sending everyone for cover!! With Gino and Josh’s (our bass player) help I had everything I needed on stage – leaving only a couple empty cases in the tent. It thundered and lightninged and poured for 20 minutes or more!! Thankfully the good-sized stage left us all well protected and we watched and waited and wondered if there’d be anyone left to play for when it was all over.
The techs from High Peaks Audio had everything wired and sound checked us in the middle of the storm… while standing in the middle of a field… with an iPad… while there was lightning!! That’s some dedication there… 🙂 When it was all over I retrieved the last of my cases and we all settled in – waiting for the green light from the stage boss.
If you saw the movie ‘Twister’… think back to the end… after the monster tornado had blown through and they showed families coming out of their storm cellars… that’s what this reminded me of… I don’t know where these people went to ride out the storm but the field quickly filled up and FE tore into their set!! We even played an extra 15 minutes after the fireworks because our set had started so late and their was still a crowd when we were all finished.
I packed up while listening to all the various festival staff saying they were going to carry me – I wasn’t going down those stairs this year… 🙂 I saw the humor in it so it didn’t bother me but just before I finished the stage manager came up to me and said that it apparently wasn’t the mud that made me fall because his girlfriend had just done the same thing and had to be taken home!! It has to be something that they used to seal or paint the steps… time for some kind of strip on the edge of those steps. I loaded off the FRONT of the stage this year… 2 concrete steps and no problems… and Gino stayed right until the end and insisted on helping me load… THANK YOU my friend!!
July 20 – FE heads back to Dango’s…
I got to test out a new shirt (a 3x from China)… felt pretty good and the guys seemed to like it… 🙂 Not sure if it was the shirt or what but I had one of those nights where I felt like I was playing my ass off and really driving the group!!
July 27 – the Dango’s summer residency continues… or would it??
The past several days have seen lines of hit and miss / pop-up thunderstorms – many sever and with heavy downpours!! More storms were predicted but they weren’t expected to be as bad though earlier today while at work I watched a 10 minute span where there was blue sky and clouds and sun, then thunder and lightning, then one of the heaviest rains I’ve seen in sometime, then back to blue sky and sun… crazy!! But I don’t recall Dango’s ever cancelling – especially during track season…
Of course I arrived 4 hours early (I like to stalk a parking spot before track lets out at 5:30 and they’ve pushed our start time back to 9:30 for the summer)… I found a spot within about 10 minutes but I’d been watching a storm on radar and was thinking of waiting it our before loading in though Dango’s tent is pretty solid with no leaks… But Rocco arrived early with the truck and after a brief conversation I started moving gear. I was just rolling my last run under the tent when the skies opened up!! The guys took shelter in the truck and I went ahead and setup… I mean, it was all there so why not?? I didn’t see anybody for over 20 minutes and I was halfway finished when the rain finally let up and they could resume loading in…
More showers were predicted so we weren’t sure if there would be any sort of crowd though there seemed to be a lot of people still walking the streets… It turned out to be a typical crazy night with the tent stuffed to the max and then some!! At the end of he night it looked like it might have rained again a time or two but we never noticed if it did… 🙂
July 28 – FE makes its long anticipated debut at the Horseshoe Inn!! I’m not sure why FE was never booked here previously though I heard a discussion while setting up regarding a current employee who worked for the previous owner… he claimed to have repeatedly told the boss that he needed to hire us but that owner said he’d been trying but couldn’t get us which I found out was a lie… so let’s see how it goes with the new owner… we don’t want to waste this opportunity… Rocco posted that he’d waited 10 years to play here to which a ‘rival’ band member replied ‘you won’t have to wait again after tonight’… thank you for the vote of confidence!!
I’ve heard stories… packed tent… a recent fight… and they say parking’s a nightmare so I rolled in about 3:30 (for a 7:00 start), met some of the nicest staff and the very friendly new owner (who looks like Keanu Reeves) right out of college who directed me to the stage and a gate I could load through or I could back right up to the stage through a rear entrance… after I unloaded he had a spot the other side of the fence where I could park. This isn’t bad at all!! I parallel parked into the small opening (yes – I can still do this) but had my eye on something else…
I always start piecing together my exit strategy once I’m in someplace and on this night, directly across the street from where we load in there was a parking lot with a spot open not 50 feet from the gate where we go in and out for the stage!! Well worth the $5 fee to me to know that when I’m done – regardless of crowd – I won’t be blocked in and be able to roll right out and drive away… perfect!!
The place was pretty empty when I got there – even staff members were still arriving… From the stage I could see what I think is the second turn on Saratoga Race Track – I could here the bell on the starting gate!! Definitely the closest I’ve been to the track (not counting playing the Governor’s Ball back in the ’80’s)… I polished my chrome rack, setup and tuned up – marveling at the increasing number of staff on hand… then security started arriving… these have got to be some of the biggest guys I’ve ever seen!! I really hope they don’t need them… 🙂 It wasn’t long before Aaron Currado showed up… we were going to have a sound guy tonight!! Once the track let out the place started filling up with dinner patrons and by the time we sound checked at 6:30 the tent and surrounding grounds were starting to fill…
At 7:00 we launched into our set and it got even crazier… after about 20 minutes we could no longer see the back gate – the tent was overflowing!! And the surround area outside the tent and around the actual building was also packed… There had to be close to a thousand people here!! And they were into everything we did!! It was quite a night!! My Superintendent from school was there with his wife and daughter… and a former PE teacher from school… there may have been others but unless they ventured around the back of the stage which (was all open – I had some close fans) I wouldn’t have any clue they were there… 🙂
We had birthdays, we had brides and grooms and bachelorette parties… they gave away tickets to SPAC… the guy from the Repo Man TV show was there and got up with us…
I figured this is what it’s like every night and had nothing to do with us but at the end of the night the staff and bouncers were heaping praise on us which was very nice and totally unexpected… the overall theme was that FE KILLED IT!! They said when we were playing the whole tent would move… someone said, “You guys aren’t a normal band!!” Thank you. We had a great time and can only hope that maybe next year we’ll get a few more dates.
But for now, more pictures…
Horseshoe UPDATE: The next day I learned a couple things…
While we were tearing down the owner asked everyone what they wanted to eat and several FE members ordered food. When Rocco went to settle up, the owner told him, “I sold a few drinks tonight – I think I can spot you dinner.” WOW!! What a nice guy!!
I also saw a post Rocco put on Facebook thanking them for having us and complementing the venue and staff… The owner saw it and replied!! “Great night! Even better than having a great band play here is a great band that genuinely appreciates the gig and, as I’ve known you, I met your band mates for the first time last night. All class acts and nice people.” I’m speechless… Club owners who appreciate the band and its members and not just the revenue they might generate are becoming few and far between… Thank you very much, Charlie!! I hope we see you again next summer!! Best of luck!!
August 3 – FE’s debut at Doc Brown’s Beach Bar was postponed due to the severe weather threat that never materialized – at least not in this area… it DID get nasty in other spots and it did rain for most of the day and night which would have made for a miserable night so it was the right call. We’re tentatively rescheduled for the Sunday of Travers weekend. Just as well… Sabrina was out of town for her sister’s wedding so Krista would be back on lead vocals and I never feel right making a first impression with a sub in any position – let alone lead vocalist…
August 4 – a Saturday night installment of FE’s summer residency at Dango’s and what a night this would be…
It was an absolutely gorgeous day – a perfect summer day!! Then 5 minutes before I was going to leave (to stalk a parking spot 4 hours early) I received a severe weather warning on my phone… are you freakin’ kidding me?!? I checked the radar and there was a tiny blob to the northwest bearing down on the Queensbury / Saratoga area where I happened to be and be heading… great!!
It sprinkled a couple times on the way down but was still pretty bright off to the west… I arrived at the library parking lot, took up my position and within about 5 minutes a spot opened and I was in for the night. But it seemed to be getting dark… uh-oh… Do I load-in like last time then setup or wait it out?? In the minute or two I took to decide the rain began… then the wind… then thunder and lighting… hail, locusts, giant frogs… I can’t say for sure but I sat in the car for about 40 minutes while it rained in various directions and the car shook in the wind… then the rain let up and the sun came out so I wrestled a load into the tent and it opened up again – trapping me in the tent for another 10 minutes!! Then it got almost cold… then really sticky… Eventually the rain cleared out and I was totally finished before anyone else even arrived… hmmm…
When Rocco arrived with the truck they had less than 2 hours to load and setup… I got out of the way and checked in with DJ Tony at Gaffney’s and caught some of the Audiostars set…
I managed to escape on our break and took a walk around the block… there were people lined up down the street to get in but there was no place to put them… And it wasn’t for us necessarily – the streets were mobbed and the crowds combined with the hot, sticky conditions must have had tempers flaring because there was a larger than usual police presence…
And the crowd inside was different too… maybe because there was no room to move let alone dance… and the ‘balance of power’ in front of the band seemed to shift from girls in the front to mostly guys… right before the 2nd set it got ugly… one guy must have said or done something to one of the girls and both sides buddied up in case it got physical and it was close… they disappeared to the back but I couldn’t tell if it was on their own or with the encouragement of security… definitely one of the craziest nights I’ve seen here!!
We got through the night… Krista did an admirable job… the high point of the night was being joined on stage by one of the Accent’s lead singers who totally killed Bruno Mar’s 24K Magic!!
August 10 – another night at Dango’s…
—
August 11 – FE returns to the annual Festa at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Rotterdam!!
I played this a few years ago… the last time FE was here – back when I was subbing for Dave Teta and Mike Thomas was still the lead singer… A very well run and attended festival and the food… WOW!!!
The weather had decided to throw a wrench into things… In the morning it looked like the rain would move out of the area… by mid-day they were calling for thunderstorms during our performance and there were discussions about cancelling but as the afternoon went on it started looking better for the evening hours and just before 3:00 the decision was made to go ahead so I hit the road… and it rained… sometimes hard…
I pulled into OLQP in a steady drizzle but they had already put the sides and back on the stage and except for two spots on the extreme left and right, the stage was bone dry!! I backed up to the stage and schlepped everything up the stairs to the stage – hoping not to get so soaked as to have to change clothes (I had several changes packed – right down to socks and underwear… I’d have made a good boy scout)… But the trips back and forth weren’t enough to dampen my clothes or my spirit and I proceeded to pace of the stage, claim my area and setup.
As I was putting everything together and older gentleman approached the stage and introduced himself as ‘Pat’… he was the drummer with the jazz band that plays every year in the gym where they have tables for people to eat at… I asked if Dino Cimino was playing… I had worked with Dino in the Dixie band back in ’79-’80 and was thrilled to get to talk to him the last time we played here… Sadly he informed me that Dino had passed away about a month prior to the Festa and that they were playing a sort of a tribute band. Pat said he’d be back to check us out and I promised to do the same once I was setup.
The festival doesn’t officially open until 5:00 but there were people strolling in before 4:00 – many with chairs from which to watch our show… cool!! The radar showed the rain was out of the area but it didn’t seem to want to let up but as it got later people began pouring in.
I finished setting up then made my way to the car for a sandwich (with my Diabetes my diet is pretty restricted anyways but on show days and at performances I still only eat what I know how my body will react) and meds (adding Advil for the tendentious in my right elbow that won’t go away and now feels like a hot poker is jammed in my elbow) then inside the parish center to see Pat and the group.
The jazz band sounded fabulous and Pat is an amazing jazz drummer!! Very tasty and unpredictable – the way I always wanted to play jazz back when I was playing jazz but always found myself being more of a time keeper… We would take turns watching each other throughout the night – smiling and giving each other thumbs up before heading back to our respective bands. Inside, they had a picture of Dino and his obit and I was told that the night before Dino’s daughter had setup his bass next to the display… I know on this night the jazz group bearing his name would have made him proud – they were on fire!! I hope FE did as well…
About 10 minutes before show time it rained again and the umbrellas came out… these people planned to stay…
It rained a couple more times throughout the night and it got sticky but not as hot… lots of moisture in the air but no one seemed to care and everyone seemed to have a great time.
At the end of the night the performers are invited in for a late supper… there’s the amazing food they’ve been cooking all day and freshly made pizza!! Sabrina was nice enough to snag me some to take home to the girls who were still waiting up when I arrived about 1:00am… 🙂
Like I said, it’s a great festival and hopefully we’ll be asked back again soon!!
UPDATE: During the week that followed they booked us for next year!! THANK YOU!! See you at Festa 2019!!
August 17 – the Dango’s summer residency continues with a bang… LITERALLY!!
The weather forecast was not favorable… in fact it was downright awful. Everyone was predicting dangerous storms… it rained early then the sun came out and the weather people warned everyone that if that happened the afternoon / evening storms would be that much worse… this time they got it right.
It started raining on my way over from school and, as usual, I arrived at the Saratoga Public Library (which is the only real parking alternative for Dango’s) around 5:30 (for a 9:30 show) to find cars already sitting in my ‘stalking’ spot but the lead car left and I swung in to wait for a spot and in a matter of minutes one of my prime picks opened. This lot can be really cut throat and I’ve seen it get downright ugly but that’s not how I roll. I backed around the car behind me – both to give the guy vacating the spot room to maneuver AND to offer it to the car behind me… I pulled even, rolled down my window and asked if she was waiting to park – telling her she was there first… turned out she was waiting for someone to come out of the library so it was all mine.
As I parked the sky was getting darker so I decided to load in despite the rain then I’d be under cover to setup through the storm. I made my first trip (of 7 because the stairs make my wheels useless) and it started raining harder… another check of the radar and I knew I couldn’t wait it out so as the lightning and thunder grew more frequent I finished loading in. Within a few minutes the skies opened!! We’re talking rain of biblical proportions!! Thankfully the tent held up and other than the splash along the rear of the tent the stage was dry and I had no issues setting up.
This storm raged (and I don’t use the term lightly) for over 90 minutes!! The rain would let up for a minute then it would get heavy all over again and the thunder and lightning didn’t want to stop!! About an hour into the storm I was crossing the stage to get something and there was a bright white flash that filled the tent and a simultaneous clap of thunder that jolted me off the stage!! That was close!! DAMN close!!! It was still pouring so I peaked around the edges of the tent… no signs of smoke or damage (other than water) but within minutes I could hear the faint sounds of sirens over the still impressive deluge but couldn’t tell where they were going. It was about 7:30 in the evening and it’s usually still very bright this time of day but I had to use the flash to get this picture – it was that dark!!
Rocco and the truck had made the parking lot and were waiting for a window to unload… I checked radar when he arrived and told him he might have a window in 15-20 minutes but not a big one… I’m no meteorologist but it looked like just as the storm was going to wind down two cells on either side of it combined and back-filled behind it for another round of heavy rain. By now the patio was starting to flood though the stage remained dry thankfully (except for that area of splash off the wall in the back of the tent). I was literally laying on the stage – feeling like I needed my ears to pop… every since that clap of thunder it felt like there was a lot of pressure… I learned later there was a term for that but I can’t remember what it was…
The rain finally let up to a mild drizzle and I thought I heard the truck unloading… they made one trip in, Mike said the alarms were going off at a little cigar shop across the street from the library lot then the skies opened yet again – forcing them to run out and retrieve more of what they had left on the sidewalk!! Then we waited for another 15 minutes or so for it to finally start to leave the area (though there was still a lot of lightning to the north for at least another 30 minutes)…
There were more sirens and we soon learned that lightning had struck the Saratoga Music Hall which sits right over City Hall no more than a few hundred yards away!! Still too close for my taste… There was a dance concert taking place on the third floor but everyone got out safely… At first they thought it was a regular power outage then someone discovered the water pouring through the hole in the roof and saw the smoke and the building was evacuated leaving excessive water damage to multiple floors.
With all that and all the warnings preceding it why wouldn’t Dango’s cancel you might ask… well, throughout it all, there were still people roaming the streets of Saratoga and, as the storm morphed into intermittent medium to heavy rain showers, the Dango’s patio started to fill up. When it rained, they all jammed under the main tent or the VIP sections and it turned into a typically crazy (and profitable) Dango’s night… that’s why.
August 18 – a wedding at a private residence in Schaghticoke, NY. These are always interesting because you never know what to expect… when they tell you they have ‘a tent, a stage and plenty of power’, more often than not we arrive to find a 12 foot square tent over a sheet of plywood and a single extension cord coming from the residence. This was definitely NOT the case tonight!!
I pulled into find a fabulous residence (and business) and a huge piece of property, a mammoth tent, a huge, rock solid stage built the day before by a close friend (at left… that’s my rug that holds my entire kit and it’s in the middle of the stage – that should give you some idea of the size) and a generator that I’m convinced could have powered a small village for the better part of a week (that’s the breaker box at right containing a dozen breakers)!!
Everyone arrived and we eventually tried to sound check but the subs and front speakers were silent… they were on but made no sound… After much searching and troubleshooting Rocco discovered that they were all in Protection Mode – something they do when they don’t detect a ground in the electric line… He spotted a small generator behind the beer tap trailer, ran a mile of extension cord, fired it up and everything came to life!! It worked though they would cut out periodically all night as the small generator couldn’t keep up with the load and would take 5-10 seconds to reset. Other than that everything would go smoother than many weddings we’ve played at venues who do them all the time!!
The grounds were extremely impressive, beautifully decorated… staff parking in back, guest parking in front and numerous golf carts shuttling people to and from the event… the ceremony was also onsite with another performer setup on a deck by a large pond… another single performing during cocktail hour under the trees outside the tent with decorative lighting strung about and a number of those giant wooden Ferris cable reels with table clothes over them serving as high tops … absolutely incredible!! We were told if we needed anything to ask, if we wanted a drink just tell the bar we were the band and as soon as the buffet was setup they wanted us to go through FIRST!! WOW!!! They were going to have, not just a party, but a real celebration and, to that end, they pre-paid for an extra hour!! AND to top it off… they did all the planning and arrangements THEMSELVES!! A fantastically amazing and wonderful gathering of family and friends!! After some light rain on the way in about noon the weather turned absolutely perfect all afternoon and evening and as I pulled away about 1:30am (the end of a 14 hour day) the karaoke was still going on… 🙂
August 19 – after the only weather cancellation in 28 outdoor shows in a row, FE finally made its debut at Doc Brown’s Beach Bar!!
It was a perfect day weather wise… I arrived to find an area in the parking lot right behind the stage with orange cones so we could load in. Pretty cool!! The only problem was that the stage blocked that entire entrance so once I setup the PA and light cases would have to enter through the side…
As I was loading in I started scouting the parking lot which was full… I start having Dango’s flashbacks but nothing was opening up so I ended up at the other end of the beach which was the closest open parking spot then wandered back to setup.
The stage was comprised of 10 carpeted sections about 4 feet square – two rows of 4 then a row of 2 in the front…I paced off the stage as usual – making sure to leave room for the rest of the rhythm section in the back row and discovered that, no matter how I adjusted the right front section of my kit sat on the back section of a panel that sagged about 2-3 inched under any weight…
I proceeded with setup and saw a couple spots open – one right next to the blocked off area so I trek back down the beach and located the van – hoping one of the spots would still be open when I returned – and was able to park right next to the back stage exit… perfect!! My exit strategy was in place!! Cases behind the stage… plenty of room to pack there without having to wait for anyone to make a hole for me… now back to that saggy stage…
I finished setting up and aligned everything the best I could then had to use to large stones to shim the front base of the right rack section. This got it almost in a normal position. I begged Rocco to put the rack and board on the front of that section thinking that the less foot traffic it got the less chance there would be of that half of the rack bouncing off the shims… it worked like a charm though I hope they fix the stage at some point.
Some added perspective… in the picture at right I’m facing the bar about 50 feet away on the opposite side of the tent… behind them is Saratoga Lake and I do mean RIGHT behind them!! They’re all of about 10 feet from the water!! To the left of the tent is the actual beach and to the right are a small tent, beach chairs, a hot dog vendor and fire pits… gorgeous!! You can even order food from Doc Brown’s restaurant just up the beach and runners will bring it to you like take-out!! It’s really quite the place but I wasn’t sure what we could expect for a crowd being a Sunday evening and our first time there…
Turned out to be a decent crowd though not crowded by any means… As the night went on I didn’t get the feeling we were winning people over – everyone seemed pretty subdued but eventually there were some of the more typical screams at the end of songs… maybe they like us…
We finished the night with some killer tunes and started packing when people started coming over, raving about the group and collecting business cards… It was probably best summed up by on guy who lives on the lake who came over to Jay, Josh and myself to say, “Holy Shit!! You.. and then… but… you guys… You were by far the best freakin’ band they’ve had here all summer!! You play like that and then just start packing like you’re normal people… WOW!!!!” He was a little excited… 🙂 Later we got word that the owner loved us too which is important from the band business standpoint of course but I’ll take reactions like I described any day… Thank you!!
And that pretty much sends our summer into a Saratoga Lake sunset…
Next up our second to last Dango’s visit for the year and our last chance for a Centre Street Pub appearance in the Biergarten… Going back to May and counting AGAD performances, of 33 dates only 2 were inside and only 1 was cancelled and rescheduled due to weather!! Pretty good considering the strange weather we’ve had all summer…
August 24 – FE’s final appearance of the summer residency and the annual Travers Eve Party and the weather was absolutely perfect!! Otherwise it was the typical Dango’s craziness… ‘nough said.
August 25 – FE makes its only summer appearance in the huge biergarten of Centre Street Pub. Usually FE plays Dango’s both nights of Travers weekend but somehow CSP snagged the Saturday…
The weather was perfect – just like Dango’s the night before which made us look forward to this night all the more… and being outside means we don’t have to wait 2 hours for them to decide to clear the area where the bands plays to setup… but something is way off still…
Last year they were upset because by the time they set their schedule we only had one date available all summer yet this year they ended up booking only one date…
I roll in at 5:30 to wait for a parking spot to open and notice a sign on the door… they’re CLOSED until 8:00 because of a wedding!! THAT would have been nice to know before driving an hour… I go inside to verify a setup time and there are no familiar faces so I asked the bartender who got someone else who tells me that ‘she says’ (I assume this is the same woman who won’t let us setup inside so we can start on time – even if there’s no one in the place which has become the norm) ‘she says’ that the bride wants to cut the cake ON THE STAGE around 7:00 and that we ‘should’ be able to get in at 7:30 – ‘even if it means you have to start around 9:30’. Thanks for thinking of us CSP!! I texted the rest of the band (no point in them standing around waiting too) and debated a plan of action for myself (now with 2 hours to kill)…
I ended up in a secluded section of the Rivers Casino parking lot where I chilled with some tunes and read for about 90 minutes – figuring that I might have a spot open around 7:00 back at CSP with wedding guests leaving…
At 7:00 I pulled in CSP’s meager lot and right into an open spot… 🙂
They still hadn’t cut the cake so I hung around and waited others to show… Mikey D pulled in around 7:25 and the bride had JUST cut the cake… the truck rolled in around 7:40 and Rocco made is way through the gate, cleared a path and started loading in… thankfully nobody stopped us.
We hustled our asses, setup and started ON TIME!! I don’t think anyone noticed… this place is really becoming, let’s just say ‘highly questionable’…
Other than the wedding (after they opened to the public at 8:00) there weren’t a lot of people… I remember this from back in June and last winter too… something’s up… they’re not getting anywhere near the crowds they used to – for dinner or bands. There was a decent crowd by the end of the first set but we had already had two visits from the police about the sound… REALLY?!? This place has never had an issue with this… have they been running acoustic acts all summer?? Or maybe they’ve just ticked off the wrong ‘neighbor’… I’ll say it again – something’s up!!
By the end of the night we had probably been told 6 times that the cops stopped and we needed to adjust the sound… strange…
They usually close the patio and herd patrons inside so they can clean for the next day, then close the inside bar about 30 minutes later. Even then we used to have to make our way through the throngs of people in the parking lot to load out but, as with our last few visits, the place was pretty much a ghost town. I don’t get it… I really don’t think it’s us – I just think the place has lost whatever attraction it used to have.
And now, an endurance test…
September 1 – today FE had its first wedding of 8 in September (17 total between now and New Year’s Eve) and made its first visit to the Persian Terrace room in the Syracuse Marriott.
It was a little more than 2 1/2 hours from my door… I thought the traffic might be lighter on a Saturday as the Marriott appeared to be in a section of ‘downtown’ but wanted to arrive early not knowing the unloading and parking situation… As I neared Syracuse I started seeing traffic signs for the state fair… Oh HELL!! Was that this weekend?!? It wasn’t long before my Google Maps popped up a warning that there was heavy traffic at exit 36 but offered an alternate that would save me about 10 minutes which I accepted and jumped off at exit 34, zipped around some minor highways and side streets and soon found myself at the Marriott.
I parked down the block from the valet parking / loading zone and went in to scope out the location of the Persian Terrace room and best path to it… My best bet was from where I was then take the elevator to the 2nd floor and the entrance to the room was only 60 or so feet from the elevators… perfect!!
I moved in, met some of the guests and the father of the bride and the grandparents – all extremely nice people, found an open spot in a paid lot right across the street and proceeded to setup. Now it was just another wedding… business as usual.
The staff couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful and the room was gorgeous – especially with all of Rocco’s uplighting!! I broke out another new tie and waited to rock the room and that’s what we did!!
It was a great reception from start to finish… We played a mini-set (4 songs while guests entered and found their seats… played for the introductions… they had there first dance then, at the couple’s request, we launched into a short dance set and this party was off and running and, other than dinner, never let up!!
Dinner… As a band we do enough weddings that it’s easy to tell when a venue doesn’t put much thought into feeding the vendors (band, photographers, videographers, etc.) – even though the meals were in the contract and prepaid for by the bride and groom. On this night it was pretty obvious that the band got a frozen something that they struggled to split 8 ways then forgot about the photographers… We’re seeing this happen more and more and sadly it’s usually at the more upscale venues… They tend to upsell the meals, charge ridiculous amounts per plate then save a few bucks by giving the vendors what amounts to leftovers… we played one a couple years ago where they told us straight to our faces that they’d run out of food… Really?!? You’re a restaurant and you don’t have ANY food?? They ordered us A PIZZA – that’s ONE 12″ pizza for what at the time was 9 band members, a sound tech and a DJ. Rocco made sure the guests knew it too when he walked through the middle of the reception to bring a slice to our sound guy on a paper plate… 🙂
After dinner we would play a special request – Wild One by Faith Hill – that we learned just for the bride’s dance with her father… The after party was still going when we finished packing and loading… 🙂
One side note… as I was loading into the elevator a large group of people (not from the reception) spotted the stencil on my cases… “Funk Evolution?!? From Syracuse?? We have a band with that name in Albany”… When I told them that we were them they all got excited… knew Nick’s family… love the band and were shocked that we would drive all the way out there… that was fun and why I stencil cases – advertising and looks cool (at least to me)…
Oh – and Ozzy Osborne was staying in the hotel as he was playing the state fair… I’m sure we kept him up as we were shaking the whole place!!
We loaded and headed north to Cicero to a Comfort Inn to check in for the night… Josh and Jay decided to drive home which left a single which Rocco gave to me… I like it because, unlike the rest of the group staying in town, I wasn’t going back out – I planned to shower, sleep and get an early start for the next one some 3 1/2 hours away and in a remote area with little or no cell service!!
September 2 – I managed 6 hours sleep, packed a couple bags and made a trip to the van, shot up the road and gassed up, hit Dunkin for a blueberry muffin, doughnut and some OJ then came back to my room to eat, finish packing, ‘shit, shave and shower’ as they say and hit the road to Timber Lake Camp in Shandaken, NY.
I wanted to be there by 2:00 but hit the road around 10:15 because a good deal of the trip would be spent off-highway and my printed directions no longer matched the route Google Maps had chosen but since it had more highway miles (which I prefer) I followed it and hoped for the best. If all went well I’d be arriving around 1:00. Oh – did I mention that we were warned that there would be no cell service as we got closer to the venue??
I followed I-90 back to Canajoharie then set off to cruise the back country… I saw farms and cattle and farms and more cattle and places so isolated that bears should have sex and that’s about it. I lost cell service 3 or 4 times yet, through it all, somehow Google maps kept me on course. I was about 10 miles from my destination when cell service disappeared for good (so much for Verizon’s coverage maps touting excellent coverage in that entire area). Google still got me right to the entrance where a guard at the gate called for another golf cart and person to escort me in. He took me right to the back entrance of what must serve as the ‘mess hall’ when it’s a kid’s camp, directed me to parking options (in a heavy UK accent) and left me to setup.
I went in and checked the place out… rustic but absolutely charming as a wedding venue (I was told they have one every week for the next several weeks) and waited for ‘Wally’ to come unlock one of the double doors so I could load up the ramp and in. He explained that the doors were chained because they’d ‘had a lot of trouble with bears’… WHAT?!? Wait!! No instructions on what I should do in a bear encounter?? Hopefully the stench of my filling my drawers will be enough to make him search elsewhere for a snack… 🙂
The setup was a little odd as we were about 100 feet back from the tables for the reception… this left an enormous dance floor which we always hope to fill.
A sad backstory on this reception… The bride and groom were already married back in the spring… they stepped it up because of the advance age of some of the grandparents… The bride’s father would serve as the officiant for the ceremony then, unfortunately, would unexpectedly pass away a few weeks later. Today they would renew their vows in a ceremony by the lake then have a celebration of their love and her father. Amazing people.
We also learned that the entire wedding party had been there for 3 days already and were staying 2 more!! They said that, after checking around with a large number a wedding venues, they discovered that, for what they were charging for just a 5 hour reception, they could take over this entire camp for 5 DAYS!! That included air conditioned cabins, the run of the camp and 5 meals a day!! While I was setting up the entire group was getting fed bar-b-que at a cookout next to the mess hall… what a place!!
We played a mini-set as usual then they request us to go right into one of our dance medleys of Uptight and Dance To the Music and with that the entire audience was on their feet and a party was in full swing!!
During dinner we learned that if we went down to the basketball court and stood under the left basket we could get WiFi!! We all wandered down at various points to check in with family and let them know we had arrived safely (and hadn’t been eaten by a bear… yet)…
FE members said the food blew the Syracuse Marriott out of the water!!
After everyone had had a chance to eat the party shifted gears and really went over the top and around again!! One highlight for us as musicians was having another tenor sax player appear from out of nowhere (also with a heavy UK accent) and man could this guy play!!
The bride had said that she just wanted everyone to have a smile on their face and at the end of the night she told us we’d certainly accomplished that. The party, largely from NYC, Bronx and Brooklyn, took a bunch of cards so I see some city visits in our future!!
I packed, loaded out and reviewed my printed directions for the hour long trek out of the woods and back to ‘civilization’… well, the NYS Thruway… It seemed like forever but after about 45 minutes I regain cell service, Google maps came to life and I was right where I was supposed to be. A couple hours later (around 3:30am) I was back in my own driveway reflecting on a fantastic weekend… 477 miles… 8 hours 32 minutes of total drive time.
September 7 – FE’s 3rd wedding for September at the Canfield Casino. I arrived an hour earlier than normal because the ceremony was taking place onsite and I like to be out of sight and dressed before any guests arrive. This also gave me the option of loading in via the stone handicap ramp as opposed to hoisting everything up the metal stairs in the back… perfect!! I was in, found a favorite parking spot on the hill and went about setting up and getting dressed – all the time waiting to hear my wife’s status…
She never feels good – the effects of Costochondritis after Chemo make her feel like she’s having a heart attack all the time – but the last 6-8 weeks she’s felt worse than usual… always nauseous, abdominal pain, light-headed and dizzy… She’s usually nauseous from all the pain medication but this was different… I finally got her to the doctor a couple weeks ago and they sent her home with a prescription (yay- more meds) and scheduled an ultra sound because she still has a tumor they’re ‘monitoring’… when they cleaned out her ovarian cancer they couldn’t get it all because part of her cervix is fused to her colon… but the ultra sound indicated everything was still the same.
But today she felt worse than ever and our daughter had to call in late for work to get her to the doctor because I couldn’t get from school to her then back to setup and there was no way to get a sub on such short notice which she understands but that doesn’t make me feel better about not being able to be with her… And I tried to get her to go right to the ER but she prefers the doctor (and the Glens Falls ER is a huge PITA even when not busy) but she packed a hospital bag just in case. Her EKG wasn’t good (I think more from all the stress she’s causing herself)… but then I’d be stressed too)… but once again they sent her home with (you guessed it) more meds… and told her to come back for more tests next week. After two months of this no one in the medical profession sees any sense of urgency to the situation… We’re concerned because after her initial Chemo treatment they gave her 5-10 years to live and we’re in the 3rd year at this point so every little thing makes us wonder if it’s the beginning of a downward spiral toward the inevitable. Once she called to say our daughter was at work and she was home resting I relaxed a little a returned my focus back to the job at hand.
This is a beautiful room to start with but Rocco went over the top with the uplighting!! What you can’t see in the pictures is that all the uplights and stage lights are in sync and the effect is very Trans-Siberian-esque… 🙂 It made the room look that much more amazing!!
It was a strange night but the people who came to have a good time partied with us and at the end of the night everyone was happy and that’s what counts.
—
—
—
September 8 – FE’s first wedding at the Red Barn at Lakota Farm – a wedding venue just this side of Cambridge, NY. Rocco had prepped us the night before that he was pretty sure we were on the second floor of the barn… I warned everyone to dress warm because I knew that part of the country and weather predictions had it in the low 50’s and maybe 40’s overnight!!
I arrived to find a working farm with a beautiful red barn… I went inside and would be greeted by a very well-dressed woman who led me outside and back up the stairs to the area where we’d be setting up. I thanked her very much and introduced myself as ‘DJ’ and she asked if that was my name (odd) so I explained that my given name is Daryl… she was also called ‘DJ’… pretty cool. And with that I texted the rest of the group – verifying that we were indeed upstairs – hiked up my britches and set about lugging everything up those stairs.
As I finished my 9th trip up and down I was greeted by Kimberly who seems to run or at least manage the venue… she apologized for not catching me sooner as she didn’t know I was there… then she explained that there’s a handicapped ramp in the back and I could have parked right next to it and loaded in from there… now she tells me – after some barn cat was last seen playing with my left testicle that I lost during trip 5 up the stairs… 🙂 It was all good… I was in and survived (that doesn’t mean I enjoyed it) and began setting up – eventually texting the rest of the band (via sporadic cell service) to tell them to take the 2nd entrance and come around to the ramp.
It was already chilly – probably mid- 50’s but after the 90 degree days that had been the norms for several weeks now this felt cold… the sun was buried behind clouds and only occasionally peeked through but not enough to make a difference… Luckily for me (NOT!!) the wall right behind my head wasn’t solid – it had slats in the wall to the open air which blew cold on my head and neck all night long. I was never so happy to put on a suit but the room is rustically gorgeous!! Perfect for a small group (this one was less than 100).
While wandering the grounds until our mini-sets an dinner Sabrina was trying to get pictures of the half dozen or so horses that had come out in the field… I knew my daughter would go nuts so I tried to get some too and just for fun tried to call them down and three of them moseyed down the hill and right to where we were standing!! This was the closest I’ve been to a horse since the pony rides at the 4-H fair when I was very little and the first ones I’ve actually petted… Sabrina was in her glory and my girls were all jealous when they saw the pictures of me and my new friend (the horse – not Sabrina… grow up!)… 🙂
_____
—–
—
Here are some more pictures of the grounds and the wedding barn…
Everyone seemed to have a great time – especially the bride who was on the dance floor almost the entire night. The guests and families couldn’t have been a nicer group of people!! At the end of the night Rocco returned from a conversation with ‘DJ’ whom I’d met when I arrived… she turned out to be the bride’s mother and also served as the wedding planner for the event!! Rocco proceeded to pass out small envelopes to each band member with our names handwritten on the envelope (so that’s why she was asking my real name earlier)… Wow!! Thank you cards… that doesn’t happen often – especially the same day of the event… I tucked mine in my pocket and finished packing. It wasn’t until I got home and opened it that I discovered it was a ‘You Rock’ thank you card with a handwritten note… and a $50 bill!! I was speechless… these people actually prepared what was essentially a personalized $400 tip for the band before we had even performed… THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! I’m still in shock…
September 14 – wedding # 5 this month at the Canfield Casino.
Ceremony on sight so I was in even earlier than usual which let me take advantage of the handicap ramp so I could roll everything in rather than lug everything up the steel stairs in the back. When we were finished I decided to go out the same but asked permission… perfect. I later learned that someone else had told Mike and Rocco they couldn’t use the ramp because ‘ the bands are ruining it’. Maybe you should consider fixing the stairs… no lights… slippery… not to mention hugely inconvenient when you’re moving heavy gear… but then again. we’re just the hired help.
September 15 – wedding #6 at the Lake George Club.
Another ceremony on site and it was a picture perfect day for it…
As is usually the case here the staff was infinitely more friendly than the guests – some of the nicest people to work with from the top down and sideways!! We love playing here and look forward to returning next year.
September 21 – tonight was supposed to be our final appearance of the year on Dango’s deck… instead – after working late, stalking parking and starting to load in – I get a text from Rocco saying he’s pulling the plug on the night due to the threat of thunderstorms later in the evening and he didn’t want to risk gear or people with a wedding the next day…
September 22 – FE wedding #7 for September at 90 State Street…
The party was very nice… probably the most devout group of Christians we’ve ever had the pleasure of playing for… very uneventful.
September 28 – another unofficial audition for Nanola (if we don’t pack the place they won’t book us)…
It was crowded early and everyone had a great time but the crowd thins early except for some die hards at the bar that stay to the bitter end… and once again I’m hearing that people couldn’t get waited on… food took forever IF you managed to find someone to take the order… the place has issues it didn’t have a couple years ago…
It was great to have Justin back on sax for the weekend and my friend (from the Upstarts and drum corps) Matt Donnelly filling in on keyboards for Nick who I’m beginning to think is losing interest… time will tell – just a gut feeling I have…
—
September 29 – wedding #8 for September and a return to the Canfield Casino… the place always looks fabulous…
I debated with wrestling everything up the stairs but decided to try for the ramp… I could see the door was locked and proceeded to wheel everything just outside the door, parked back on the street then went in the back to open the side door to bring in gear… I no sooner opened the door and this woman is on me, “Didn’t you park by the back door?!? You need to come in there!!” I told her my chiropractor will love it and asked if she wanted me to move it back there to which she responded, “Good for your chiropractor… go ahead.”
I told her I’d let the rest of the band know but I really wanted to tell her that I’d also blowup social media – letting the other bands and vendors know and that we’d tell any prospective couples looking for a venue that maybe they should look elsewhere… I suggested to Rocco that maybe we need to add a load-in surcharge for places like this… 🙂
Rocco was itching to get to the bottom of it when he arrived… come to find out it’s not the RAMP that’s getting ruined – it’s the door sill on a building that’s part of the historic register!! Now if she had said that in the first place rather than being large and in charge, the whole thing could have been settled… communication people… learn to communicate!! On to the party which was almost a disaster unto itself…
I’m not a fan of bride’s mothers serving as wedding planners – as if the day wasn’t stressful enough already for them… if you don’t want to hire a bonified planner, ask a friend… apparently there’s no middle ground – if they don’t hire someone they feel they have to do it themselves… I know Rocco often fills that role yet here was another mother… so far the one’s we’ve encountered have done a decent job but you can see the toll it takes…
The problem on this night was with the catering company – Old Daly Inn which is the people from Crooked Lake House… We usually play a mini set – 3 or 4 songs while Rocco’s getting the wedding party lined up just to make our presence known… a sort of sneak peek at what’s to come… It was scheduled for 6:00… we were on stage several minutes before and guests were already entering the room but there was some confusion in the back of the room… the next thing I see is several Old Daly staff picking up fully set tables and moving them!! Other staff are rearranging name cards… it seems that a large percentage of the tables are wrong!! We eventually played then made our quiet exit prior to speeches and waited for our part of the party to start.
Everything was way behind and the band’s meals had just hit the table when the woman in charge from Old Daly came in to say the bride was getting anxious… I know Rocco was biting his tongue but they woofed down some food and we went stage side to await the end of parent dances. We kicked into our dance material, the dance floor packed and it seemed like a great party from beginning to end. The father of the bride came over the end of the night and said that we made the party… I thought he was being gracious but I later learned that what with the table assignment and serving issues the energy in the room had all but subsided to the point where people were getting ready to leave!! Rocco went off the set list and bumped a couple special numbers right to the front… while I’m usually not a fan of that (only because it usually leads to dead air while the band tries to figure out what’s next) on this night he nailed it!! A request and shout out for this family member… ‘September’ by Earth, Wind & Fire for the bride’s Mother who’s name is September, etc. He had the party cranking and we played over 90 minutes straight through… that’s what her Dad was talking about… 🙂
October 5 – and just like that it’s October!! Columbus Day weekend – what should I do?? Hmmm… I know – how about THREE FE shows!! Starting today with (what else) a wedding… a FRIDAY wedding… in SYRACUSE no less!! Back to the Syracuse Marriott it is…
I took the day off from work knowing that I needed to be on the road by 10:00am and expected a little more traffic than the Saturday wedding here last month but it really wasn’t that much heavier – even in downtown. I rolled in right around 1:00pm as planned, did some research and found that we were in the main ballroom on the 10th floor. In working with the timing of the elevators (the doors start fighting with me about the 3rd load and I need to get 4 loads in there so I split them up this time) I was able to get everything in in two runs. There were spots in the lot right across the street again so I parked and paid and went back in to setup.
I had parked my gear in an open end of the room (since the center of the room appeared to be setup for the ceremony)… I spotted the banquet manager (Sarah) and asked if I was in the right spot for the band… she checked the floor plan and informed me that I was NOT… the band goes right where the officiant is standing for the ceremony!! We can’t setup until the ceremony’s over!! Perfect!! We were told that the ceremony would be taking place in ‘an adjoining location’ – not in the same location separated by a drape… That means we’ll have 1 hour (during the cocktail hour which takes place in another room) to get setup. I asked if we could pre-stage beyond the drapes – out of site of the ceremony and she said that would be fine so I kicked into concert mode… approaching it the same way as I do for multi-band outdoor concerts and festivals and informed the rest of the band who was thrilled as you might imagine.
I finished staging, got dressed then wandered the hotel eventually finding a comfy chair in the lobby and waited for word that we could start setting up. Once we got that message, all hands were on deck and we were setup and sound checked in no time. Even had a few minutes to spare before the doors were opened, guests started pouring in and we launched into the first of two mini sets. Once they were done I headed for my car to eat, medicate and otherwise kill a couple hours until the party started.
I located the rest of FE in a side room still waiting for dinner… it seems everything got way behind primarily because of the bride’s father’s toast that went on for more than 25 minutes!! I was told that the guests lost interest – everyone talking among themselves… and the servers started dropping meals on the tables in an attempt to make up time. Here was another party with the life sucked out of it and we were supposed to revive it… which we did!!
I’ve been fighting a head cold for a couple weeks and about 3 songs in my nose started running… this band stops for nothing so I’m playing and sniffing and sniffing and playing… I have my head rocked back to try to make it let up at least a little but before I could do anything watery mucus is running out of me like a river!! I can feel my pants leg getting wet and see splatters on my suit jacket… it was really embarrassing… Eventually I found spot between tunes and was able to take two seconds and wipe my nose… hopefully nobody noticed. In the end it was a great party and everyone seemed most pleased and appreciative.
This was our first time in the main ballroom and what a room it is…
Those globes behind me were thick plastic and each held a candle… and I banged my head on the two lowest ones a half dozen times – splashing hot wax all over the inside of the globe (thankfully not on me).
I was almost packed and ready to load out when a guy comes through and tells us we can’t use the elevators for some reason but we can use the service elevator… fine – but where is that?!? I found it and located where it came out on the street the other side of the building… I managed to load up and get on the road just after midnight… was still pretty alert so I skipped the first rest area opting for the second one about 40 minutes down the highway. Some of our guys had their hearts set on Burger King at one rest area which turned out to be this one but they had left well before me so I didn’t think they’d still be here… after freshening up I peaked around to the tables and there were Jay and Josh and former FE lead singer Mike Thomas!! I chatted for a few minutes then hit the road again and was able to fall into my own bed about 3:40am… another long day in the books!! And many thanks to the Dice Tower for putting a couple hour long videos on YouTube which kept me awake for the 3 hour drive.
October 6 – wedding #10 in the last 5 weeks… this time our first visit to Hudson Hall in Hudson, NY.
I haven’t been to Hudson in 20+ years and don’t think I’ve ever been downtown so I wasn’t sure what to expect… I arrived to find the city bustling and packed to the rafters… this will be a parking nightmare!! I found the Hudson Hall and luck was with me as I pulled into an open spot right across the street – about the only open spot I’d seen the entire time!! There was a drum circle playing in the park right next to where I parked… maybe it was some sort of sign… 🙂
I made my way to the door where a few people had just exited only to find it locked… just then someone behind me spotted my drumline jacket and I turned to find former FE drummer Dave Teta and his wife!! This was their cousin’s wedding!! I told Dave to keep loose as he would be playing tonight then someone opened the door and instructed me to go down the one way next to the hall and I’d see the food tent in the ally behind the building where I could load in and use the elevator… perfect!! I made my way back there, moved everything in then loaded it all at once on to the elevator after one of the caterer / bartenders showed me how to set the key so the doors would stay open… again, perfect!! Now to park…
The city was mobbed with people attending a plethora of events taking place all over… I made a couple trips around the blocks and as I was heading down the one way next to the hall… could it be?? …do my eyes deceive me?!? IT IS!! The spot on the corner just past the ally where I loaded in was now open!! Perfect!! I’m parked and close by…
The hall as absolutely beautiful!! Another theater that has been revived and they are doing an amazing job. And I’d be playing on the very stage where Susan B. Anthony, Martin VanBuren and several other notables had stood… very cool!! There were stairs leading to the stage and a handicap lift that was blocked in by chairs so I simply set the lighter stuff onstage from the front and used the stairs for the heavier stuff.
My concern for the night was noise level… Rocco had been warned before he loaded in that the city has a noise ordinance that kicks in at 10:00pm (so why anyone would schedule a reception to go to 11:00pm is beyond me)…
Otherwise the night was turning into something special…
There were two dressing rooms back stage which meant we didn’t have to dress in bathrooms for a change… and I’d have a place to relax and do some reading when we weren’t playing… the stage was huge and the lighting was excellent… and Dave Teta would be joining the band on a couple tunes…—
We launched into a double mini set and jump started the party!!
We’d learned a couple tunes by request specifically for this event… a Phish instrumental for the introductions and a modified version of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Everywhere’ for the first dance where the first verse is just piano and Krista (who was filling in for Sabrina the next few weeks while she’s on a couple cruises) then kicks into the normal groove and the entire party is invited to join. Both tunes couldn’t have gone smoother or been better received.
—
The party was cranking and we brought Dave up to finish the set with a couple tunes and he did a great job and seemed to enjoy himself… 🙂
Just before our last set we were told that the entire volume had to come down more than 10db… maybe that would acoustically bring my drums into the mix… I had gone out front while Dave was playing and there were no drums in the mix other than a little kick that had no definition.
Here are some more shots of this amazing venue…
October 7 – what I’m predicting will be our last visit to the Copake Family Campgrounds (no longer a KOA)… The nice (we thought) people who had owned it for so long sold it over the winter for a hefty sum to some corporate entity and new people have come in to run it…
First let me get the weather out of the way… the place has a history of being cold… I can remember tearing down on August nights and being able to see my breath!! When I left my house the furnace was on and it had barely cracked 50… After almost 2 hours on the road I hopped out of the car in my jacket and cap and almost fainted!! It had to be almost 80 degrees!! That wouldn’t last of course… by showtime it was low 60’s and probably mid to lower 50’s when we packed up.
When I arrived it looked pretty much the same though the people behind the counter didn’t seem interested in asking if they could help… I got in and setup… the place was sold out as usual but no one stopped by to see when we started or say ‘Hi’ as in the past… oh well… 30 minutes before we hit there was the annual Halloween competition for costumes, golf carts and sites. When we started playing there were a handful of people in the pavilion but I couldn’t see how many if any were hanging outside in the dark. On break I took a walk and there weren’t a lot of people… We finished up to about 10 or so partiers… then, while packing, Rocco gave us the rest of the story…
It seems that many of the ‘seasonal’ campers (those that pay annual dues to leave their rigs in place year round) were told that there dues went up because of what the owners had to pay US!! Really?!? He was told that the former owners told them that as well as the new managers but one woman had access to the books and discovered that definitely was NOT the case… Rocco would describe our fee as practically ‘charity’ compared to what we charge anywhere else. He said some of the people were just plain rude!! If this is how they feel that could explain the lack of interest in our performance… I’m pretty sure the band is all in agreement on this one and would be happy to say they’ve made their last visit to Copake – especially on a Sunday night of a holiday weekend.
October 13 – what originally was going to be FE’s first weekend off since April ended up being a midday gig… the first Upper Union Street 5K and Oktoberfest in Schenectady.
We were told to setup on Keyes Ave… I rolled in around 8:30 to find a brand spanking new parking lot beside a beautiful restaurant and the guys from the Town of Rotterdam waiting for a couple cars to be cleared from the lot so they could position the stage… eventually they devised a plan B and setup at an angle and leveled while I stood by for 45 minutes in the 40 degree rain offering moral support. It was the same stage as the OLQOP Festa so it was good sized but no sides or back this time… at least we’d be dry and it was supposed to clear up at some point. We were able to park our vehicles beside and behind it which was perfect as the rest of the lot was blocked off for the expected throngs of people on foot.
We were told the street was going to be blocked off but that morning Schenectady PD came by to say that they couldn’t block it because they’d have to block it off aaaaaaaaall the way down blah, blah, blah… so the street was going to be open to traffic…
As we started playing at 11:00am the rain was letting up leaving grey skies behind… after a while it looked like it might even clear… there was some sun by the time we took a break a little after noon but we’d only seen a dozen people or so visit the lot and a few tried the food.
The owner of the restaurant was running at least this part of the show and told Rocco that we could shorten our breaks and stop at 2:30 instead of 3:00 which was fine… By the time we stopped the sun was out… and it was still cold!! My feet were still wet and cold and I wasted no time packing up and hitting the road in the warmth of my vehicle.
On my way out and up Union Street I noticed a number of tents… there must have been other vendors here too!! I have no idea if there were any people… I know they had to be able to hear us on Union – I just don’t know if more than what we actually saw (maybe 20 total) tried to find us. As for the race, that was at 9:00am on the other side of town so I’m not sure how it really tied in with what we did… At the end of the day, the boss and race sponsors were all absolutely thrilled!! I thought we’d be lucky to get paid though I guess the lack of people ultimately wasn’t our fault. They’re talking about doing it again next year so we’ll see…
October 19 – first of 3 for FE this weekend… our first trip to the Basilica in Hudson for a wedding… very interesting venue… an old warehouse on the Hudson River… still has what appears to be some sort of grain chute in the ceiling and small rooms with heavy steel doors with enormous counter weights…
The room was dark and cold though they did finally turn some heat on as people began entering for the reception… the catering was a mess… buffet style but I heard that people were going through the serving line and there was a smiling server behind the various dishes describing what they were but there was no food in them!! The party was great and Rocco had plenty of light of course… 🙂
A personnel high point for me was that earlier in the week I had my regular doctor visit… my A1C1 was back down even lower than he was hoping for and my cholesterol was the lowest it’s ever been so he was very pleased… my blood pressure was still a little high… it’s been more up than down the past 3 years so he determined it was time to try some medication for that… The best part was that I had somehow been able to get back down under 190 pounds which meant my favorite double-breasted vest now fit again!!
October 20 – FE begins an outdoor double-header with it’s first appearance at the UAlbany Homecoming / Tailgate Party prior to their football game with Towsen…such an amazing setup and the stadium is absolutely gorgeous!! Glad I’m not paying tuition here… 🙂
Here’s a little panoramic shot from the stage…
I arrived early to try to clear security and the newb on the gate where we were told to enter had no idea what my UAlbany issued pass was for – he just kept telling me he couldn’t let me park in his lot… I don’t want to park in your lot – I want to get to the stage… eventually an upperclassmen came over and told him that was the band pass and directed me to the stage entrance.
It was cold and windy… felt a lot better when the sun came out but it didn’t come out very often… then there was a brief cold rain shower but only one thankfully… It wasn’t uncomfortable as long as you were dressed appropriately which I was of course (trying to walk that fine line between keeping warm but not sweating my butt off when we start playing)… It did make me wonder what Gaffney’s would be like as temps were forecasted to drop during the evening…
October 20 – for the night cap FE hauled ass out of Albany and headed for a 7:00 start on the patio at Gaffney’s in Saratoga… I arrived only about 30 minute later than I would normally and was told we would be on the upper level as the forecast said rain starting around 11:00… we were done at 10:00 and that meant carrying everything up some stairs but OK – I’d rather not risk the gear… and there was heat up there!! Yes – HEAT!!
They turned it on while I was setting up (take a lesson Basilica in Hudson) and I had to take my jacket and hat off… it was toasty and I envisioned it feeling like we were playing indoors when we started. That went out the window when they turned it off… I must have changed clothing combinations 4 time before settling on my light winter jacket and a knit hat… these turned out to be the perfect choices as I was comfortable all night (despite low temps and lack of heat).
As for the night itself… I wasn’t sure what to expect but there were a lot of people walking about while I was loading in… The patio was maybe half full when we started but soon packed to the rafters and we had an amazing crowd right to the bitter (cold) end!! I was thinking the venue had to be totally thrilled but found out later that security had been giving Rocco a hard time because their decibel meter had us at 107 and Rocco’s had us under 90 (we wondered where we’d lost him for 2 or 3 songs)… I understand the venue’s over cautiousness since the place across the street calls the police on them about every night… But we got through it, made a ton of new fans and survived 3 chilly shows in 2 days.
October 26 – FE returns to Franklin Plaza for wedding #11 this fall…
Today / tonight was a repeat of our last Syracuse visit – the ceremony took place where the band sets up so we had to pre-stage in pieces behind a drape then throw everything together in an hour. It all went fine until there was a hum from something and in trying to track it down they somehow blew up our board!! It wouldn’t even turn back on!! We have a 16 channel digital mixer for a backup and Rocco scrambled to hook it up and make new track assignments and we got through the night just fine – finishing off with the bride and groom’s special request… an odd song for a wedding but great for a party… SOB by Nathanial Rateliff & the Night Sweats
—
—
October 27 – tonight it’s the Saratoga Winery’s Hallo-WHINE Party… it’s always packed… always a great party… and always FREEZING!!
This is the 3rd year for this party and we’ve played it every year… the first year I arrived and discovered that it’s an OUTDOOR party (no one mentioned that) and the tent we were supposed to be in collapsed from the heavy snow from the day before!! So they moved us up on the outdoor deck behind the building and said there were heaters… well, there were heaters but none anywhere near me… and the sort of balcony they had me setup on hung over a lot of snow and the canvas wall behind me did nothing to stop the wind or the cold from pouring in. I was froze stiff by the end of the night… not fun at all…
Last year we managed to avoid any snowfall so the tent was up and there was a stage in the back end but getting to it was tricky only because of rolling gear through the grass… and the stage sits at a 10 +/- degree tilt so I’m sitting up hill which changes all the angles on the pedals, kills my back and Achilles and makes for a miserable playing experience. And to top it off, last year at the end of our finale, I stand up to play the very end… I managed to hit the last notes and fall backwards off the stage!! So what would 2018 bring to the table??
Well, we knew going in that we might not have a mixer since it crashed hard the night before… the weather forecast had gone from dry and chilly to a full blown nor’easter (for those who might not be from this area that’s a coastal storm that usually dumps copious amounts of snow on the region)… the last several days stayed pretty consistent – heavy rain and temps in the upper 30’s… great!! The good news was the event had sold out, then they expanded the tent and announced more tickets which also sold out. Weather be damned – these people were partying regardless!!
I arrived to find things just as I had anticipated – wet, cold, windy and muddy… the latter would be exponentially worse by the end of the night. I lugged a couple loads down the ‘lawn’ to the stage – dumping one in the already rutted grass and mud when someone told me they had left an opening in the tent right next to the stage and I could drive back there. It was a little better but definitely much shorter. I texted everyone so they’d know there was a better way in… I finished unloading, parked and set about setting up in the dimly lit tent. Rocco arrived an hour or so later, managed to get the box truck in the tiny opening and backed right up to the tent…
I had already prepped my sub-mixer so I wouldn’t be eating up so many channels in our small mixer… The plan was to break out the big one and test it and it turned right on and worked perfectly the entire night!! With that I packed up my small mixer and returned it and my hand carts (which were useless in the grass and mud) back to the van.
When we finally got to play the 3 sets seemed to fly by and the tent was packed to the rafters with nearly 600 costumed partiers!! I was warm enough to remove the top of my 4 layers in the middle of the 1st set then the wind would blow the back of the tent open and I’d be freezing again. By the last set I had to put that top layer back on and despite double layers of socks my feet were frozen. When it was all said and done it was an over-the-top party but I was glad I had decided not to try to ‘winterize’ my costume… The band dresses up each year but this would be the 3rd year in a row that I was disappointed that I had to choose health over showmanship (after dropping almost $200 on this years’ costume) and just hope I could still play with all my layers on (which was not a problem)… sitting in the back not too many people probably noticed or cared…
Everything was cold and damp by the time I packed and what was rutted grass and mud when I rolled in was now several inches of thick, sloppy, slippery MUD!! I planned to walk those things out but dragging the two hardware cases with their wheels digging in all the way to the upper entrance totally kicked the crap out of me!! It was like someone was on the other end pulling in the opposite direction but I managed to get everything moved out and loaded without slipping and falling in the mud but it was not a fun experience. And now the Winery is talking about doing a similar event for St. Patrick’s Day!! Here are some more pictures…
Hallo-WINE Party followup… A few days after this party I got hit with one of the worst head colds I can remember!! It’s been hanging on for weeks now… 2 layers on the bottom, 4 layers on the top but I guess my winter hat wasn’t enough… like I said, SHOW BUSINESS!! 🙂
November 9 – after our first weekend off since early May FE’s back in action with a pair of weddings…
We kicked things off with a return to Revolution Hall in Troy – our first time back here since our own Justin Gadlewski’s reception…
I somehow lucked out with parking on the either side of the one way street and pulled right into a spot almost in front of the door!! I was loaded in before the heavy rains hit… then it got cold!!
About the only odd thing was that, as I was setting up, someone from the hall came by to tell me they needed the stage for the next day’s wedding rehearsal!! I could keep setting up but they’d need the front of the stage… that’s fine for me – I’m always as far back as possible and I just gathered my cases around me so I could keep working… it did put a crimp in Rocco and Mikey D’s efforts when they arrived…
Otherwise it was a great party!! Well organized and the food was amazing!!
November 10 – a windy, freezing cold return to the Hall of Springs for wedding #2 – our 14th wedding since September 1st!!
It had to be in the 20’s or high teens and would only drop by the time we loaded out… and the wind was fierce and unrelenting… I can’t remember the last time I had my hoodie pulled up for a load in!!
What was stranger was that I brought in my first load to discover there was no stage… no problem we’ve played on the floor here before but I was very early after dropping my daughter off to work and was afraid they just hadn’t set it up yet… I finished loading and not a single person has said a word to me… I was cleaned, tuned, mic-ed, cabled – totally finished setting up and dressed before Rocco and the truck arrived and still not a word from anyone at the Hall. The Mazzone catering people are usually much friendlier than this but it is what it is…
What I did enjoy was that, while I was setting up, a couple of prospective brides and families were touring the facility and both fathers stopped by to chat… one had just seen Elton John at MSG earlier in the week and even showed me some video… the other was asking about my drum rack and we chatted drums and bands for a while… turned out to be a retired drummer… on his second visit I told him where to find the videos that helped me design my rack and also told him about the father of the bride at Erlowest a couple years ago where the only thing his daughter wanted on her wedding day was for him to play at her reception… he liked that idea… 🙂
I always have cards with me if someone should ask but in this case neither did… I DID notice both of them taking note of the band logos and my logos stenciled on all my cases… mission accomplished and I, as a representative of FE, didn’t come off like a used car salesman.
Next up another rare weekend off while Rocco, Mikey D and their families vacation in the Dominican… for me, that means two Holiday parades with the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline!!
November 17 – what I imagine will be the Avant Garde Alumni Drumline’s last appearance in the Schenectady Holiday Parade… every year for 6 years they’ve stuck us in front of a firetruck that is constantly blasting every blessed thing that makes noise on the vehicle the entire time we’re trying to play and this year was no different… what was different was they cut our fee in half then charged us a $75 entrance fee!! See ya!!
November 18 – AGAD returns to the revived South Glens Falls Holiday Parade… after losing sponsorship it didn’t look like there’d even be a parade last year but a local stepped in, raised funds and got her husband – a fireman who had organized the huge Hudson Valley Firmen’s parades in the past – to help with the organizing duties. In this their second year things were well organized though the staging was different… only the first few divisions lined up in the bowling ally parking lot – the rest were around the corned and spread out down several back streets… I’m not sure what prompted this decision but it made for a slightly longer parade but, even though it was noticeably colder than the night before, once we were moving it was a great parade and the line put on a great show for the thousands braving the cold.
November 21 – FE’s back in action with a Thanksgiving Eve show at Van Slyck’s in the Rivers Casino. This place is interesting… they don’t want you bringing equipment through the casino yet you have to wait for security guards to open the stage door only at a certain time… on this night I arrived to find the stage door surrounded by construction fencing – now how do we get in?? I went in and found a security guard who said we now have to enter through a pair of doors in the parking garage… He offered to open them but I told him I was early and I knew they wanted to try to do everyone at once but when everyone got there there wasn’t a guard to be found!! We all ended up coming through the public garage entrance and through the casino… I know can get in and out in 5 minutes using the house gear but I’d rather spend the extra time and effort and have my own gear if just for the better sound…
While I was piecing together the house drums someone from the casino came up and asked if I was ‘checking them out’… I told him I was setting up for the night and he got this confused look… with a phone in one hand and a walkie-talkie in the other he started contacting people and told me that they have trivia on Wednesday nights and that that guy was on his way and if there was a band the sound guy would’ve been there… Turned out that the Proctor’s people booked us but the Casino people didn’t know we were coming… It all worked out though we were over an hour late starting by the time the Rivers guy had the mics setup and wired… On the whole it was a good night and everyone in attendance seemed to really enjoy the band.
November 23 – FE makes its first appearance at Putnam Den / now Putnam Place in Saratoga… The place was recently overhauled – redecorated and all new tech including a digital back screen on stage a new house PA system. I’ve stopped over to see various groups when we were playing Dango’s patio and the bands never sound good… and to top it off, they’re inside!! So on a beautiful summer evening everyone’s gathered outside and forced to listen to the band through a Radio Shack speaker leaving the club virtually empty and the band pretty much by themselves… not a good situation at all. Rocco always said he would never book there because the horrible sound would make it easy to lose weddings if anyone heard us there.
I wasn’t sure what to expect going in – all I knew was we were hired by the Shen class of 2008 for their 10th reunion… they had booked the Parting Glass but in the weeks prior the Parting Glass told them they already had a band booked and couldn’t have us play so they were forced to find another venue… Rocco recommended a number of alternatives including Putnam Place who proceeded to apparently change the contract and get us to play an extra set open to the public the end of the night for free.
When it was all said and done the class reunion seemed to enjoy themselves – at least while we were playing (they seemed to ignore the DJ altogether which I found a bit odd)… and when they opened to the public maybe a handful of people came in but I couldn’t swear to that… I know it didn’t suddenly get busy… come to think of it, even during my summer visits the place is never very crowded…
As for the sound, it was probably the worst stage sound ever!! Nobody could hear so vocalists were straining and becoming hoarse and getting pounding headaches…
While I was packing up no one from the venue said a word but the ‘boss’ was behind the bar – loudly complaining (maybe for my benefit) about how much they had to pay for this and for that and how they only made $1000… made me feel a little uncomfortable… just a poor situation all around and hopefully the last I’ll see of Putnam Place!!
December 1 – FE makes its first trip to Cooperstown for a wedding at the beautiful Otesaga Resort. They say ‘getting there is half the fun’ – well they’ve never made this trip… at least not on the route I was taken…
Google Maps said it was just over 2 hours from my home to the venue and I checked the route out in advance and it looked like it would take me to Amsterdam where I’d jump on the Thruway for one exit – getting off in Canajoharie (former home of Beech Nut) then head south for about 25 miles.
It looked like everything was going as planned until, shortly after exiting the Thruway, I found myself on some windy, twisty, up-and-down, two lane county road. Within about 10 miles, though the roads were clear, it looked like they had recently gotten about 18 inches of snow!! I came over one rise only to discover that the road, without warning, had curved to the left!! I managed to recover but was now not a big fan of this route which still had 12-14 miles to go…
In one spot I could see a side road coming in from my right and slowed slightly… as I got closer I could see a Stop sign that appeared to be pointing at the side road… I was almost in the intersection when I realized that it had been bent – probably by a snow plow – and was meant for ME!! I jumped the brakes and proceeded to skid through the intersection on the freshly dumped sand… thankfully nothing was coming and I continued on.
A little further I came to a more obvious stop… at a 4 lane road with a turning lane… and full shoulders!! It was CIVILIZATION!! What road was this and why wasn’t I on it?!? I continued to follow Google Maps which took me straight across this nice road and back onto another county road… I soon realized that the lake that the resort sits on was on my right and I was following that shore into Cooperstown – now less than 10 miles away. I was happy to finally arrive and promised to find a better route home – especially since the forecast was uncertain other than heavy precipitation.
I went inside to locate the reception area… The girl at the front desk said the room was at the end of the hall and that my best load in was right through the front door… really?? The lobby was packed with arriving guests and you want the band to bang through with all their gear?? Not to mention having to lug it up the front steps… I decided to scope out the situation for myself… There was a small door in the room adjacent to the reception but it still meant parking in the small circle in front of the resort and dealing with those steps… Then I discovered the elevators and the downstairs hallway that lead to the handicap entrance and parking area near where I already parked… PERFECT!! I cleared this with hotel staff and began loading in.
They set us up right in front of the kitchen doors but told me those doors would be blocked… after being hit by staff coming out those doors for the 5th or 6th time I blocked it off with my empty cases… problem solved. It would be a tight fit but we would make it work as usual…
The room was beautiful and it was a great party!! Very nice people and very enthusiastic!! We played a mini set while they lined up the wedding party, stayed for introductions then played another mini set and this party was off to a rockin’ start!!
We stopped while the 4 course dinner was served which, as usual, took an hour longer than planned so our 90 minute break turned into almost 2 1/2 hours… During that time we sat and chatted and the band was fed a nice chicken dinner but after setup Rocco and Mike hit the lounge downstairs and had the best burgers they both said they had ever tasted!! We convinced Nick (who I’m convinced has a tapeworm) to go get one of those burgers after he’d just finished a chicken dinner and half of another… and part of a third… Josh (sax) joined him and they too were blown away!! Josh kept saying that he didn’t know food could taste like that while Nick seemed to melt into his chair – sinking into a heavenly food coma.
We did eventually get to play again and they were ready for us and we let them know how much we appreciated their patience by totally rocking the place to its core right to the very end!!
There was an after party down in the lounge and I was just finishing packing when one of the managers came down the hall… he thought we were still playing and they were getting complaints from the guests but THAT sound was coming from the lower floor and that party showed no signs of stopping.
By now it was pouring rain… fine – I can deal with that… but was it freezing as some had predicted?? A quick check of the temperatures showed that it had actually gotten warmer… it was 34 when I arrived and was now 39. I knew I’d be fine for at least a while but didn’t want to trust those back roads again – especially as I got further north. I’d done my homework during the prolonged break and the route with the better roads which would take me back to Albany then up I-87 would only be 4 minutes longer so I set out on that route home.
About 11 miles of pouring rain and dark roads (but no signs of ice) and I was finally expelled on to that road I had crossed on the way down – Route 20… an almost straight line back to Albany. But only a few minutes into my peace of mind what do I run into but a fog bank!! You have got to be kidding me!! The fog was so thick that it was almost impossible to see the white lines of the road and I found myself creeping along at 10-20 mph for over 20 minutes!! When it finally cleared the pouring rain didn’t seem so bad and the rest of the trip continued without incident… except for the bear… but thankfully I didn’t hit it.
I lost a lot of time in the fog and the trip took about 30 minutes more than it should have but I was glad to be home and in the shower by about 3:15am.
December 7 – FE returns to Centre Street Pub and I thought the picture at right seemed appropriate for Pearl Harbor Day… thank you all for your service!!
CSP used to be an amazing experience… great staff and wall to wall partiers from beginning to end… so many in fact that after an hour of packing we would still struggle to move gear through the remaining crowd… But (I say this every time we play here recently) something has changed… the staff blames ‘increased competition’ but I think it’s something else that coincided with a change in staff / management because about the same time I noticed the drop off in attendance I was seeing all new faces working the joint. Even the numbers on those beautiful summer nights in the huge outdoor patio are dwindling…
Tonight would be no different except that when I arrived around 6:15 I was told I could start bringing in gear and they’d get the tables removed… odd… the new regime usually doesn’t want to remove the tables where the band goes until 7:30… I show up at my usual 3 hour mark so they know FE is ready – then if we don’t start on time because of the abbreviated setup time it isn’t our fault. There were sadly only a handful of patrons in the place and I guess they realized that there was no point in waiting on this night.
I began setting up and got another surprise as Lou Chitty from Rochester began moving in his keyboard rig – he was filling in for the night for Nick. Lou is a true professional and amazing artist so I knew that would be fun…
As the night went on the crowd got a little bigger – including the Godlewski family… former FE saxophonist Justin and all for his Mom’s birthday!! There were lots of new faces and everyone seemed to be very into everything we did… and the band felt pretty solid!!
By the last set there couldn’t have been more than 20-30 people in the place… at one point there were only a half dozen or so in front of us – a monumental difference from the nights when there were wall-to-wall people packed like sardines right in your face and as far as you could see. Yep – something’s changed and I don’t think it has to do with FE… Time will tell I suppose.
CSP UPDATE: They just cancelled our January date saying they checked our Facebook accounts and we didn’t do enough to promote the gig…
It’s the week before Christmas and we received some sad news… Josh Mlodzanowski – a.k.a. ‘the Firecracker’ (alto sax and rapper) is moving out of the area to complete his Masters in music education. We will miss his talent and energy and have enjoyed his time with FE and wish him the very best of luck. Now to find a replacement…
Rocco went out on a limb and contacted former alto sax and original FE member Justin Godlewski to see if he had any interest in returning to the group… he talked it over with his wife and they were both excited at the prospect. There originally was a 6 month window but things have accelerated and Justin will make his return to FE on January 1, 2019!!
December 7 – FE makes it’s 5th appearance at the Colonie Police Department Holiday Party…
For the first time since we’ve been playing it it wasn’t held at the Desmond – they moved it just down the road to the Shaker Ridge Country Club. This was my first time there and the venue is gorgeous (the picture below left is what greets you when you walk in) and the staff among the friendliest we’ve ever met. The food was amazing and the party, as always, was off the hook!! Thank you Colonie PD!!
Of course a Holiday party means the one time a year I get to break out my Santa drumming tie and I couldn’t resist a selfie in front of that tree… 🙂
—
December 28 – FE’s 2nd to last wedding of the year in the Event Center of Rivers Casino… What a beautiful room (sorry I didn’t get pictures other than the selfie with my purple tie to match the theme)!! The party itself was good but lacking energy and I have a theory… The band was playing very well (I’ll start with that) but I think the environment played a huge roll… the room will hold over 600 people and this party was around 250 so the tables were spread out and set back quite a distance from the band… even the dance floor was a good 10-15 feet from the stage. Musicians always say how they feed off the energy of the crowd but when everyone is this spread out it must be like body heat… It was a good party and everyone seemed to have a great time but we’re excited to see what they do to the room in 2 days when we’re back to play New Years Eve.
December 29 – FE’s final wedding of the year (#17 since September 1st) at the always gorgeous Franklin Plaza… Looking at the musical requests for introductions and DJ selections we had the feeling that this was going to be an over-the-top party… and it was!! We could see people fighting the urge to get on the dance floor during the mini-set… and some of the guest’s outfits screamed party!!
After dinner they asked that the DJ play a few choice Latin tunes… when we entered for our first dance set it looked like the party had started without us… about half the guests were already on the dance floor… we strapped in and opened with Gloria Estefan’s ‘Conga’ and the rest of the guests joined in – creating what was easily the single longest conga line I’ve ever seen – lead by the bride!! Almost everyone in the room was in the line and it was awesome!!
The dance floor remained packed for the rest of the night – right up until everyone went upstairs to the after party. Great people and a great party!! And a great tuneup for FE going into the huge Rivers NYE show…
—
—
December 31 – FE returns to Rivers Casino for New Year’s Eve!! Last year we got bumped from the Event Center for the Commodores (yes – THOSE Commodores… minus Lionel Ritchie of course)… tickets were expensive but as the date got closer they dropped dramatically and still had a poor turnout… we were told our show in Van Slyck’s lounge outdrew them more than 3:1!! I attributed much of that to our show being free so I was pretty sure that when they announced this year’s show with us in the Event Center at $50 / person which included 2 drinks and ‘small bites’ that we’d be the ones with the poor turnout this year.
We played a wedding there 2 days prior so I was able to inquire about the load in and setup logistics and timeline personally with Dan Cohen who handles their tech and oversees these things… the casino wanted us to arrive at 8:00pm and be ready for sound check by 8:30… on my best days I couldn’t get this mini monster of a kit assembled in 30 minutes!! He continued to say that there was a full sit down dinner taking place in that room 5:00-8:00 with a jazz trio performing…When I explained my dilemma he said I could pre-stage backstage… OK – we’re getting closer…
A short time later Dan returned and asked how early I could be there… the answer to that was anytime… he checked and since I was on a drum riser all to myself I would be able to setup well ahead of time – the only restriction being I had to be finished before the trio loaded in at 4:00. Perfect!! We agreed on 1:00pm and left it at that.
The night before I started thinking about what I was going to do down there for 5 or 6 hours between setup and sound check and decided that I’d make the trip twice… if I could get in in the morning I’d setup, drive home then return before sound check… I texted Dan and he cleared me for 11:00am… I’m in!!
I arrived about 10:20 thinking I could load in then find a place to park which wasn’t a problem as the lots were pretty empty… maybe my skepticism was justified after all… I made my way in without any problems – no one even stopped me… I checked a couple doors but they were locked so I assumed that I’d have to wait for someone to let me in at 11:00… a security guard did check on me about my 3rd trip in but I had my band pass on and my cases were clearly marked so there was no problem… he directed me to an open door so I WAS able to get stage access early. We chatted for a while and he turned out to be a drummer (and his wife is Rocco’s accountant)!! Nice guy and I really enjoyed talking to him despite losing about 10 minutes of work time… 🙂 The stage was enormous!! It looked like a rock concert hall!! This sort of made sense as the one and only Rick Springfield (Jessie’s Girl) performed there the night before. The downside of stages like this is stairs and I’d have to wrestle all my stuff up and down them… UGH!!
The sound company arrived as I was about half setup… nicest people from High Peaks Sound (thank you for everything Treavor and Roger!!)… They decided to use their own drum mics since they’d need them the New Year’s Day for another group that was performing which would take about 10 minutes of my setup and breakdown time. I cleaned and tuned, finished setting up and was back on the road around 12:30 – heading home to relax and dress before making the hour drive a 3rd time for the evening’s festivities.
When I returned I was both happy and concerned that I was having a problem finding a parking spot… I made my way into the quickly filling parking garage and landed a spot on the 3rd floor, grabbed a quick snack in anticipation of the night to come and headed in (already fully dressed) about 7:45.
The room had been transformed and what a tremendous job they did!! I wasn’t sure about the theater style seating and the lack of a dance floor (though part of me didn’t think we’d need it because there’d be no one to use it) but what a room!!
—
We sound checked and everything sounded HUGE!!! It was very exciting… We finished about 9:15 – 15 minutes before they opened the doors… Now I had 45 minutes to kill…
I decided to take a lap through the casino and check out the early group in the lounge before returning to warm up… as I left the Event Center there were 20-30 people lined up to get in and I thought to myself that that was a nice start… or maybe that was everybody…
The other band was on break so I decided to just relax back stage… The line had gotten a little longer but I was still worried…
As showtime approached I began my warm up routine and noticed that the room was getting louder… I peaked out to discover that the place was filling up!! Maybe I underestimated the potential of the package or FE’s popularity but there was a crowd forming!! Now I had a whole different thought process working and was feeling the usual butterflies that come before a big show and I liked it… 🙂
We took the stage at 9:59… at 10:00 a couple personalities introduced the band, we launched into our set and the place erupted!! That’s a really special feeling that doesn’t happen very often… Looking out I could see the room was totally packed!! I could see through the doors and the double-sided bar into the lobby and they couldn’t move out there either!! All I could think about was how lucky I was to be there and how I wished I could get my hands and arms to work… I am still battling tendentious in both elbows and a sprained left wrist… the occasional week off here and there isn’t enough to let them heal… and I’m not sure what does more damage – the playing or the loading and unloading… I’m doing the best I can but I’m really not pleased with my playing and am always concerned that asking for time off might cost me this most coveted position… it took me too long to get here and I don’t want to let go… fingers crossed.
—
—
When the night was over we were told that there were over 1000 people!! Below I took this shot during our break…
Everyone seemed very pleased and we were booked for next year at intermission. What a way to end a crazy and most lucrative 2018!! FE seems to be securing their place as one of the top party bands in the area and beyond as 2019 takes us to Rochester, Philly, Rhode Island and more!! And 2020 is already booking like crazy… Happy New Year everyone!!