Grimy Basements in Brooklyn: Gig Report

[The Bear Jew]

So, are you ready for another installment?

Here we go...

 

Out of town gigs are fun. We get to expand our horizons and see a different crowd. When our friends from Brooklyn, N.Y., invited us to do a gig, we obviously agreed.

 

The gig was set for Friday evening, which actually works out well for us, as I get out of work early on Fridays in the summer. Bass-man Dave gets out early as well, since he works for the Department of Education. Richie, the drummer, is generally home from his power department gig fairly early, too, so, really, things were pretty ideal.

 

We're honestly in need of a van at this point in our gigging history--long trips are a pain in the ass when you've got to use multiple vehicles, and, obviously, the potential for difficulties and irritations is greatly increased. Tolls and gas are doubled. Also, not for nothing, but... you lose that feeling of camaraderie that comes when the whole band rides together. Inside jokes and driving conversations create an unseen bond between band brethren.

 

So, we met up at the rehearsal spot, gathered our gear and prepared to depart. Dave and Rich rolled in Richie's ride, and I drove my car with our buddy, Sam.

 

A word about Sam.

 

He's a friend of Dave's. Sam and Dave (no "Soul Man" jokes, OK?) have been friends for about 10 years, and they work out together about five times per week. Sam is a very blunt person with limited social skills, or, to put it another way, many people think Sam is kind of... erm... a dick. He's a self-professed horrible guitarist, but he knows a lot about bands and music... and he's useful for carrying gear and selling t-shirts. He's not a bad guy, honestly, but he's rather hard for some people to take because he has absolutely no sense of diplomacy or any desire to filter his opinions. He's highly sarcastic as well. I kind of like him, actually, but he's not always fun to have as a navigator or driving partner, mainly because he's also a space-case. He's OK to have around when Dave is there to be his filter, but one on one... he can be kind of a chore.

 

So, color me rather unexcited to be driving with Sam.

 

As we left, I started to hand out the driving directions that I (supreme dork that I am) had printed from Google Maps. Dave, wise-ass bassist he, scoffed at my directions, saying, "We just need the address--we have a GPS in Richie's ride."

 

OK, dude.

 

Sam and I rolled onto the NJ Turnpike. Around 5pm. On a Friday. In the summer. Right now, I'll pause while the folks from PA, NJ and NY let out a collective groan. Yeah, that's right--we drove into Brooklyn during summer rush hour.

 

The 90-mile drive should, under traffic-less conditions, take about an hour-and-a-half. In these conditions, it took two-and-a-half hours. But, wonder of wonders, Sam and I had a lovely ride. We chilled out in the AC of my car and drove along at a snail's pace, listening to my satellite radio and talking about music. Sam's about 10 years younger than I am, so his frame of reference is kind of amusing--the stuff that imprinted on him as a kid was new when I was in college, so my take on the stuff he remembers as being highly influential (Nirvana, Soundgarden, etc) is different than his... he mainly remembers thinking these bands were important as he grew up, whereas I remember these bands getting too much hype and wearing out their welcome via MTv and the radio.

 

Anyway, as I said, we had a nice drive, and we arrived about 20 minutes later than we planned, which was still quite early for the gig. For those who are unaware, while it's not exactly a paradise, parts of Brooklyn have become something of a hipster oasis outside of Manhattan. Picture a metric assload of thin, good-looking, tattooed people with odd facial hair and ironically styled hair wandering around en masse. That's the part of Brooklyn we entered. I can't say I wasn't enjoying the people-watching. Amazingly, I scored a parking spot about 20 feet from the front door of the club. NICE. Trust me, this was a stroke of luck--the street was highly busy, and the parking situation was cut-throat.

 

So, after parking and stretching our legs, I decided to call Dave and Rich to see where they were.

 

Me: "Yo Dave, where ya at?"

Dave: "Um... looks like we're about to go through the Holland Tunnel."

Me: "Holland Tunnel? What the frick?"

 

The Holland Tunnel was not supposed to be part of the route.

 

Me: "Miss a turn, Davey?"

Dave: "Yeah, yeah... it's cool. We'll just drive through Manhattan."

 

(I will pause here, again, to allow for more groaning for those of you who are familiar with Manhattan and the concept of traversing it just around rush hour on a Friday in the summer.)

 

Me: "HAHAHAHAHAHA! Have fun. See you in about two hours."

Dave: "According to the GPS, it's only about 10 miles from here."

Me: "Uh-huh. See you in about two hours."

 

I told Sam what happened, and he laughed, too. I checked in at the club and got the lay of the land. Seemed like a cool place, but I surely couldn't figure out where we'd be playing in that joint--I saw no PA or stage. I decided I wouldn't sweat it, since our name was on the billboard. I didn't see the other bands yet, so once they arrived, I'd get the scoop.

 

We hung out and watched people. I can honestly say that I had trouble figuring out where to let my eyes go, since there were, without exaggeration, at least 20 exceedingly good-looking people walking past me at any given time. Granted, many of them looked like absolute tool-bags in their chosen fashion statements, but, nonetheless, they were all really attractive.

 

I felt kind of fat, old and plain in comparison. But whatever... at least I got to play rock n' roll.

 

After about an hour, I decided to check in on Dave and Rich.

 

Me: "Hey bro... how's it going? (snicker)"

Dave: "We'll be there soon, man."

Me: "You're still in Manhattan, ain't ya?"

Dave: "Yeah, but I think traffic is getting looser. I think we're like five miles from there."

Me: "OK, see you in about a half-hour."

 

In the meantime, I went back into the club and asked the tattooed, part-time model/bartendress where the music happened in that joint. She told me to head downstairs. Oooops. I didn't think about looking downstairs.

 

I immediately popped into the basement, which was, as expected, kind of dank, kind of dark and absolutely full of rock n' roll mojo. Ah, OK.

 

Off in the front area was a PA set-up, and I saw folks who were definitely musicians hanging around. OK. Better.

 

I went to introduce myself and check things out. The bill that night included three local bands, including our friends' band. Our friends' band is somewhat similar to ours, except they're much more of a '70s rock band filtered through pop/punk, whereas we are a '70s-style rock band filtered through heavier elements of music. Basically, where they are brighter, catchier and more inspirational, we are darker, less predictable and more grimy. Regardless, they are quite excellent at their craft, and we dig them. The other two bands were both bass-and-drums groups, one fully instrumental, and the other featured a singing bassist.

 

These folks were exceptionally friendly dorks... kind of like me... so we got along famously. The drummer from the one band, a tiny woman with an infectious laugh, told me, "Band people are usually either fun dorks or total douchebags. I'm glad you're a dork." We proceeded to discuss Schwartzenegger films until I realized I had left Sam to his own devices upstairs.

 

I excused myself and went back upstairs to find Sam talking to some of the Brooklyn crew of our friends. Good times. They all asked where Dave and Rich were... I told them of the lads' follies, and, as if on cue, they arrived.

 

The kid running sound, a surly, greasy-headed dude in a faded band shirt, popped up and told us we needed to load in right away because things had to get started. OK, dude, simmer down.

 

Richie grabbed a parking spot near mine, and we did the load-in deed... down the basement steps. Now, as I have mentioned in the past, when it comes to gear, we don't F around. Dave uses an 8x10, and I use a 4x12. That's just how we roll. Richie uses big drums. It's rock n' roll, people. Loading gear down those near-vertical stairs wasn't wonderful, but at least it was over quickly.

 

Turns out we loaded in just in time to let the first band start their set.

 

These guys were kind of impressive--bass and drums duo with vocals. The bassist used live looping to create interesting layers of sounds, and he worked samples into the mix via a sampler and a volume pedal. The whole mess ran through his bass rig, and the drummer played minimally but artfully. It sounded pretty cool to me. In my opinion, most bands using live instrumental loops sound very "muso" and show-offy, but these guys found a way to make it sound interesting and accessible. Right on.

 

I was pretty surprised to turn around and see the room looking positively full... Wow.

 

We were on next.

 

Good times. We played just like we do at rehearsal, and we got a lovely response. Nothing bad happened. No mistakes. We did what we always do--we killed it. Lots of compliments from everyone, especially the other bands. We get that a lot, and people really dig my theremin. I'm a total hack at it, but I guess I do something right, because people like it.

 

We finished up, packed up and prepared to hang out.

 

I popped outside to get a bottle of water and take in some air before checking out the next band. The singer from our friends' band walked up to me and said, "Hey man, I got really, really stoned before you guys played. It was awesome. I was the one who kept yelling, 'NEVER STOP SOLOING!' You guys were killer."

 

I think that's a nice compliment. I think.

 

Hanging out on the street was, once again, an amazing experiment in people-watching. I was hit on by about 20 different guys (I was flattered) and about 20 different women (I was even more flattered), and I took pictures with a lot of folks. Apparently my hair can trump tattoos, skinniness and handsomeness. Nice to know there's something appealing about me.

 

I went back downstairs to check out the end of the next band's set. This was the other bass and drums duo. These guys were purely instrumental, and I don't think I have ever seen anyone happier to be playing the drums than the woman in that band. She laughed, smiled and plain ol' just had herself a good-ass time. Musically, I'd say they were kind of on the prog side of things, which doesn't really appeal to me, but I will say that they were tight and totally locked in. I think they started to sound a little samey after a while, but I liked their overall vibe. The crowd liked them, too.

 

Sam told me we sold about 10 shirts. Nice. Gas money.

 

The last band played. Our friends. I'll say this right now--they're really good. Really good. Excellent songs. They kind of look like dorks, and they come off oddly onstage, but they're frickin' good. I will say, however, that I was a little tired of guitar harmonies by the time they finished up.

 

Sam told me we sold more shirts. Wow. Total sold: 18 shirts. Woot! Also, Richie walked over to me and placed a roll of bills in my hand. "That dude gave me this. You hold it." Typical Richie statement. It was the club owner, and it was our pay. NICE. Between the shirts and the pay, we actually made a real profit. That's pretty sweet.

 

Load out was not fun, but, again, it was over quickly.

 

We said our goodbyes, and I handed the driving directions to Richie. I think he appreciated that. Dave rolled home with me, so Richie had Sam for the return trip. I wasn't sure how that would pan out, but I wasn't going to think about it.

 

The ride home was a lot faster. An hour and change, and we were unloading at the rehearsal spot.

 

I got home as the light was beginning to show across the horizon. I walked into the bedroom to find my lovely wife waiting for me. I kissed her hello, and she said, "Your face smells like rock n' roll. Go take a shower."

 

My face smells like rock n' roll. I love this woman.

[Nicklab]

You're making me so enthused about getting in the car to go to my gig in Brooklyn tonight.

 

*sigh*

[The Geoff]

You're gonna make a book of these? Right?

 

 

G.

[picker]

You'd better love her, dude. Women who can coin phrases like that are worth their weight in gold, diamonds if they can wake up agreeable after a night alone while daddy was out rockin' somewhere many miles away.

[fingertalkin]

"Your face smells like rock and roll"....awesome.

 

I can only imagine what your ride smells like....

[wraub]

Holy flurking schnit, I miss Brooklyn...

 

Nice job.

 

Peace,

 

wraub

[rizzo9247]

Gotta love traffic....

 

Definitely give a NYC shoutout next time, I would love to see you guys live.

[b5pilot]

Great story as usual!

I wish my gigs were as interresting.

[jeremy c]

Sounds like a good time was had by all.

 

Rock on, dude.

[jcadmus]

NO SLEEP TIL BROOKLYN!

 

Sorry. Had to. And I don't even like that band.

[Paul K]

And that ending part (...snif...) just brought a tear to my eye.

 

I love a happy ending.

[jcadmus]

Sounds like it's time for you to get a Swagger Wagon

 

http://weberprogramming.com/winnet-bin/jtoc/15_passenger_van_rental_toyota_sienna2.jpg

[tnb]

Write BOOK. PLEASE.

[Eric VB]

Sam and I rolled onto the NJ Turnpike. Around 5pm. On a Friday. In the summer. Right now, I'll pause while the folks from PA, NJ and NY let out a collective groan. Yeah, that's right--we drove into Brooklyn during summer rush hour.

Actually, I found humor in your pain and laughed. Just like everyone does when the guy in Dodgeball gets hit in the "comedic zones" (as explained on the extended DVD).

For those who are unaware, while it's not exactly a paradise, parts of Brooklyn have become something of a hipster oasis outside of Manhattan. Picture a metric assload of thin, good-looking, tattooed people with odd facial hair and ironically styled hair wandering around en masse. That's the part of Brooklyn we entered. I can't say I wasn't enjoying the people-watching.

Yes, I know of what you speak. Like Manhattan it feels like you are in a Twilight Zone episode where suddenly everyone around for miles is a 20-something model.

Amazingly, I scored a parking spot about 20 feet from the front door of the club. NICE. Trust me, this was a stroke of luck--the street was highly busy, and the parking situation was cut-throat.

Dude, that's like getting struck by lightning while winning the lotto. That would have made my night. (Well, if I somehow managed to survive the drive there. I usually make someone else drive through Manhattan. Seriously.)

(I will pause here, again, to allow for more groaning for those of you who are familiar with Manhattan and the concept of traversing it just around rush hour on a Friday in the summer.)

This, too, made me laugh. Muhahaha!

We hung out and watched people. I can honestly say that I had trouble figuring out where to let my eyes go, since there were, without exaggeration, at least 20 exceedingly good-looking people walking past me at any given time. Granted, many of them looked like absolute tool-bags in their chosen fashion statements, but, nonetheless, they were all really attractive.

Not. In. Kansas. Anymore. Toto.

Richie grabbed a parking spot near mine, and we did the load-in deed... down the basement steps. Now, as I have mentioned in the past, when it comes to gear, we don't F around. Dave uses an 8x10, and I use a 4x12. That's just how we roll. Richie uses big drums. It's rock n' roll, people. Loading gear down those near-vertical stairs wasn't wonderful, but at least it was over quickly.

No backline? Not that it would do, of course, but still amazed they wouldn't have a backline since they have stairs. (But why should I be when nearby lurk cruel joke living spaces knows as "3rd floor walk-ups"?)

In my opinion, most bands using live instrumental loops sound very "muso" and show-offy, but these guys found a way to make it sound interesting and accessible.

Agreed. In some hands a looper just sounds gimmicky.

I went back downstairs to check out the end of the next band's set. This was the other bass and drums duo. [...] I think they started to sound a little samey after a while [...]

That is the peril of only having one lead voice, IMO. Yo-Yo Ma may be an amazing cellist but after listening to him play solo for an hour I think most anyone would want to hear something different.

The last band played. [...] I will say, however, that I was a little tired of guitar harmonies by the time they finished up.

My biggest fear is being strapped to a chair and forced to listen to a Spin Doctors concert. Is it too much trouble to ask for a little variety?

Between the shirts and the pay, we actually made a real profit. That's pretty sweet.

Wait a minute here! Are you sure you're playing originals?

 

As always, thanks for sharing. Good stuff, Maynard.

[The Bear Jew]

Actually, I found humor in your pain and laughed. Just like everyone does when the guy in Dodgeball gets hit in the "comedic zones" (as explained on the extended DVD.

 

I know what you mean. I thought about the ridiculousness of this endeavor as we loaded the gear... traffic is so insane sometimes... and, on a trip like this one, we have basically no choice but to dive in and deal with it.

 

Yes, I know of what you speak. Like Manhattan it feels like you are in a Twilight Zone episode where suddenly everyone around for miles is a 20-something model.

 

Yeah, that's exactly it. I think the proper term for the multitude of attractive people in that area might be "staggering." I felt like some corn-pone yokel visiting the city for the first time--I really had a hard time figuring out where to look without feeling like I was invading someone's space.

 

Dude, that's like getting struck by lightning while winning the lotto. That would have made my night. (Well, if I somehow managed to survive the drive there. I usually make someone else drive through Manhattan. Seriously.)

 

Yeah, it was really fortuitous. Sometimes parking just works out that way, and, in this case, we were really pleased. Oddly enough, we usually have similar luck whenever we visit larger towns like NYC, Atlanta or Boston. I don't know why, but we just sorta somehow pull up to the venue just as a good spot becomes available. I don't question it. I just roll with it.

 

No backline? Not that it would do, of course, but still amazed they wouldn't have a backline since they have stairs. (But why should I be when nearby lurk cruel joke living spaces knows as "3rd floor walk-ups"?)

 

Nope. No backline, and I'm kind of glad--judging by the dumpy condition of the rest of the joint, I can only imagine what the state of the backline would be in that basement. This is one of those places where the permanently wet floor, copious graffiti and interesting smells might be passed off as "real" or "earthy" by some folks, but anyone with any sense would see it for what it is--a hipster dump just barely passing health code standards. I'm pretty sure the basement "venue" is a fire hazard.

 

In some hands a looper just sounds gimmicky.

 

Yeah, loopers often (unfortunately) find their way into the hands of those looking for ways to show off their chops or something equally vile. This dude was actually using it to create and support song structures. It was really pretty cool--especially the way he mixed his tones together to create a rather lush soundscape. Not bad for a two-member band.

 

That is the peril of only having one lead voice, IMO. Yo-Yo Ma may be an amazing cellist but after listening to him play solo for an hour I think most anyone would want to hear something different.

 

I think they could do a lot more with what they have (like the other two-member, bass-and-drummer band), but they just don't. The bassist in the second band wasn't mind-blowing, the drumming was average and the songs really seemed to be very much based on a formula... and the formula is fine... for about two songs. After that... boring.

 

My biggest fear is being strapped to a chair and forced to listen to a Spin Doctors concert. Is it too much trouble to ask for a little variety?

 

These guys also have a formula, it seems... they have absolutely NO songs without extensive guitar harmonies. And don't get me wrong--I live guitar harmonies. But, as Groucho Marx once said, "I like my cigar, too, but sometimes I take it out of my mouth for a while."

 

Bottom line: these dudes are indie rockers who are messing with '70s metal/rock because it's popular to do that now. As a result, they have the skills to ape the genre in a believable way, but they're not truly metalheads, and it kind of shows. They're kind of laughing up their sleeves about how "metal" they can be by writing guitar harmonies in fifths and thirds. It's not like they sound bad or anything... and I must say that they have written some damn good songs, and they play them well. It's just that I got the joke after the third song... so, ya know... new joke now, OK?

 

Wait a minute here! Are you sure you're playing originals?

 

Yeah, I know... we don't always make out this well, but we managed to move some shirts this time and play to a good crowd, too. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that our shirts are pretty dope, too. Our bassist and his sister have a screen press in the basement of their big-ass brownstone apartment, so we buy t-shirts in bulk, and they hand-screen each shirt with a different custom imprint, so some shirts have a purple/orange/white fade logo, whole others have a pure white logo, etc, etc. Each shirt is an original, and I think people appreciate that. I recently heard that quite a few folks were sporting our shirts at a big underground show in our area.. and those shows are pretty much a fashion show for the underground elite to parade around in their most hip gear... if our shirts didn't make the grade, people wouldn't buy them or wear them to these events.

[The Bear Jew]

Sounds like it's time for you to get a Swagger Wagon

 

http://weberprogramming.com/winnet-bin/jtoc/15_passenger_van_rental_toyota_sienna2.jpg

 

Yeah, yeah... I know. I'm kind of kicking myself for donating my old van about two years ago. It needed more work than it was worth, and at the time we had a drummer who owned a van, so it didn't seem necessary to hold onto a vehicle that was bound to nickel-and-dime me to death.

 

Of course now that we have a better band situation with a new, non-van-owning drummer, I wish I had kept the van and made its repairs a band expense. I think about $1K would have set it to rights, and if we split that three ways, it wouldn't have been an unbearable expense.

 

But there's no use whining about it now... Our bassist seems interested in buying a van, and that makes sense, as he's the only one of us who doesn't own a vehicle right now.

[EddiePlaysBass]

The bassist in the second band wasn't mind-blowing, the drumming was average and the songs really seemed to be very much based on a formula... and the formula is fine... for about two songs. After that... boring.

 

I would have thought you were talking about AC/DC, until I read the "boring" part :grin: Talk about taking a formula to the max!!

 

Actually that is unfair towards said band. Like Status Quo, a lot of their album tracks offer something different, but people only know the singles. And they usually sound alike.

 

Each shirt is an original, and I think people appreciate that.

 

Erik, I want a shirt. Seriously, I like this kind of stuff. PM me so we can work something out, would ya?

[Norwegia]

I wish you guys had some recordings up on myspace or something, vato.

 

But if you ever decide to go on a tour out my way, your guys style is pretty damn popular around here.

[The Bear Jew]

The bassist in the second band wasn't mind-blowing, the drumming was average and the songs really seemed to be very much based on a formula... and the formula is fine... for about two songs. After that... boring.

 

I would have thought you were talking about AC/DC, until I read the "boring" part :grin: Talk about taking a formula to the max!!

 

Actually that is unfair towards said band. Like Status Quo, a lot of their album tracks offer something different, but people only know the singles. And they usually sound alike.

 

Each shirt is an original, and I think people appreciate that.

 

Erik, I want a shirt. Seriously, I like this kind of stuff. PM me so we can work something out, would ya?

 

Yeah, but the difference between these guys and AC/DC is that AC/DC's formula is chock full of awesome, whereas with these dudes... not so much.

 

RE: A Shirt

You have been PMed.

[The Bear Jew]

I wish you guys had some recordings up on myspace or something, vato.

 

But if you ever decide to go on a tour out my way, your guys style is pretty damn popular around here.

 

Actually, we do have video and audio up on myspace, but all of it is old. We're waiting for the new CD to drop before putting current stuff up there.

[EddiePlaysBass]

The bassist in the second band wasn't mind-blowing, the drumming was average and the songs really seemed to be very much based on a formula... and the formula is fine... for about two songs. After that... boring.

 

I would have thought you were talking about AC/DC, until I read the "boring" part :grin: Talk about taking a formula to the max!!

 

 

Yeah, but the difference between these guys and AC/DC is that AC/DC's formula is chock full of awesome

 

I totally agree :grin:

[Mudcat]

Erik needs to write a book about all of his rock-n-roll exploits.

[EddiePlaysBass]

Erik needs to write a book about all of his rock-n-roll exploits.

 

I totally agree :grin:

[saxofunk]

sounds like a fun night. You need a Kia Soul. You're far more entertaining than anthropomorphic hamsters.

[Eric Iverson]

Hamsters are entertaining, if you train them right!

At least I thought so when I was 6......

[Tenstrum]

We're honestly in need of a van at this point in our gigging history--..... you lose that feeling of camaraderie that comes when the whole band rides together....

I found myself playing in 2 bands last year and neither band had a van/truck big enough. So as it turned out, I ended up acquiring a 99' Chevy 1500 extended cab for use around the new house/horse farm and then got an 8 foot box trailer to haul stuff in. It turns out that this made a pretty good combo to haul band stuff in and for everyone to ride together in. Totally agree with what you said about the band riding together. I look forward to that almost as much as I do the actual gig.

 

II kissed her hello, and she said, "Your face smells like rock n' roll. Go take a shower."

My wife bought a shirt that says "I'm with the bass player."

Got to love a woman who would lower herself down to that level.