Chad Thorne Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 I recently formed a band with a drummer friend and a guy named Ray who calls himself "Da Bluez Preacher" (www.dabluezpreacher.com). Ray is a wonderful blues-rock guitar player. Tons of chops, but the best thing is he plays very intuitively. Stuff just pours out of him, very musical and hardly ever wheedly-deedly. Plus he has this great high tenor voice. We do lots of covers, but in Ray's style, and Ray's originals, most of which are Gospel-themed. We played our first gig last night, a birthday party for a friend of the drummer. I guess because of Labor Day only about 15 of an expected 50 guests showed up, but they stayed up and dancing and yelling for more all evening. And these were not kids! it was a 50th birthday party. By the end of the evening we had a New Year's Eve gig offered (we took it!), and the manager of the Elks club where we played wants 50 business cards to pass out to people who want to book the room for functions. I have to say we played really well and, maybe more importantly, the vibe among the band was loose and fun, and even a mistake or two had no impact. Ray and Paul (drummer) are Christians, as am I, and we all want to be able to be overtly Christian in the midst of playing good music for the people. (We do a medley of foot-stomping Gospel songs that had everybody clapping and singing along!) I'm pretty high this morning. Just wanted to share!
Cthulhu Fhtagn Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Great job! Being tight with the band is just as important as being good musicians. What kind of NYE gig? Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn
Tom Capasso Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Sounds wonderful. I've met a few guitarists like that - guys you just never tire of hearing. This sounds like more fun than I remember you having in all the years you've been here! Congrats! Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt
Chad Thorne Posted August 31, 2008 Author Posted August 31, 2008 What kind of NYE gig? Well, it was the birthday girl's boyfriend who booked the Elks hall for the party last evening. While he was there he booked it for NYE. He does pig roasts/BBQs on the side and will cater the NYE party, as he did last night. (GREAT barbecue!) No admission charge, but he'll run a cash bar (like last night - band drinks free. The Diet Cokes and club sodas were flying outta there ). And get this - next gig we play for him he wants us to take LONGER breaks...
moot Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Congrats Chad - isn't it great when it's great? "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . .
davio Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Too cool, Chad. Congrats on a successful first gig with the new group (in my experience with new bands they have a 50/50 of going either way) as well as a nice hookup! Keep us posted!
jeremy c Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Sounds great, Chad. Just try not to proselytize from the stage or you'll end up being the Neil Young of the Christians. Free download of my cd!.
rizzo9247 Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Nice going Chad, sound's like a solid gig right there. Sounds great, Chad. Just try not to proselytize from the stage or you'll end up being the Neil Young of the Christians.
b5pilot Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Good to hear Chad, keep it going! Lydian mode? The only mode I know has the words "pie ala" in front of it. http://www.myspace.com/theeldoradosband
picker Posted August 31, 2008 Posted August 31, 2008 Playing good music, even if it's Christian themed, ought to appeal to folks. If they can dance and feel good to it, an audience ought to love it. Myself, I see that kind of thing as an opportunity to take Our Lord into places He wouldn't get taken or even be welcome very often. It's a chance to go show folks ssome Christians don't look down upon or hate them, but actually love them. A bunch of musicians with a genuinely Christian attitude(maybe that's "ANTI-tude") should be a pleasure to hire and have at your party. They would be on time, be easy to work with, honest, eager to please, sober, and ready to deliver what they are contracted to deliver. And, it's an opportunity to speak one-on-one to people, break out of the Christian Ghetto, and form relationships with people that wouldn't darken the door of a church if their lives depended on it. I know a guy who spent five years doing all the dirty jobs for a biker club/lobbying group that had five or six get togethers every summer. He pulled all the late security shifts on the gates, arranged for the porta-potties to be brought in and taken out, all the stuff nobody else wanted to do. And, between meetings, he was available to get people bail-bondsmen, work with battered wives who called up at 3:00 AM, and be the guy who stood up and spoke at some of their funerals. After he had shown he was really interested in them and loved them as people, he asked if he could have services on Sunday mornings at the meetings, and they said he could. They knew he wasn't a flake, or a guy who wanted to shout condemnation at them, and they responded to him. A lot of them became Christians on the strength of his actions between meeetings. My point is that, if you show folks genuine love, love with more than a few platitudes and smiles as they walk by, folks are gonna take a second look, because they'll know you believe it enough to live it. If more folks did like my friend, there would be a lot different attitude in general towards Christians ,in this country and elsewhere. Always remember that you are unique. Just like everyone else.
Chad Thorne Posted August 31, 2008 Author Posted August 31, 2008 ...Just try not to proselytize from the stage or you'll end up being the Neil Young of the Christians. I think we think of ourselves as a band who are Christians rather than a Christian band, if you see my distinction. That way, we don't have to feel hypocritical about its being a commercial venture rather than a "ministry." In that context we can share our faith through our music occasionally, as other artists might do with, e.g., Krishna or Scientology, while being able to do other types of songs as well.
Chad Thorne Posted August 31, 2008 Author Posted August 31, 2008 Playing good music, even if it's Christian themed, ought to appeal to folks. If they can dance and feel good to it, an audience ought to love it. Myself, I see that kind of thing as an opportunity to take Our Lord into places He wouldn't get taken or even be welcome very often. It's a chance to go show folks ssome Christians don't look down upon or hate them, but actually love them...Amen.
A Head with Wings Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 A bunch of musicians with a genuinely Christian attitude(maybe that's "ANTI-tude") should be a pleasure to hire and have at your party. They would be on time, be easy to work with, honest, eager to please, sober, and ready to deliver what they are contracted to deliver. I'm always on time, I'm easy to work with, honest, more or less eager to please, sober (when I'm playing), and ready to deliver what I'm contracted to deliver. But I'm not a christian. And there's more of us. You don't have the monopoly.
Davo-London Posted September 1, 2008 Posted September 1, 2008 Fantastic Chad. There is nothing like hitting it off with a couple of musos in the first place and then to gig and have the response as you did is nirvana. N I C E Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk
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