THE BAND DOES AN OPEN MIKE NIGHT - 5/3/06
Short Version: We (Bob Muir & the Enemy Below) do an open mike at a coffee shop. People are shocked. Report follows.
If you’re starting out and the band doesn’t have a regular gig – open mikes serve a vital function – it’s gets your butt up in front of people and gives you a chance to see what works and what doesn’t .
But there is a down side: while good places to try stuff out, they can be depressing backbiting dens of ins and outs petty politics and favoritism all the more depressing because there is so little at stake.
Last night we were at Waltz-Astoria’s Open Mike (www.Waltz-Astoira.com) It’s a new coffee shop/wine/beer place in the neighborhood that has been open for about a year. A little upscale fussy/nice looking place with tables and chairs and books and games on the shelves – coffee machines desserts and beer and wine. The look said Boho with cash.
When we walked in there was one guy who looked the serious artist type cup of coffee at the table writing away in a fancy note book, and the guy that seems to be required at all coffee shops the man with the laptop.
“This ain’t our kind of place” I said.
The Enemy Below agreed. But we both knew that going in – the listed performers at the venue tended to the wounded dove/arty end of the music spectrum where as out stuff comes from the music and words as blunt instruments school. We’re punk – not all our songs are punk but that’s where we to quote Howling Wolf “get our pull from”. That a strong sense of the ridiculous or Dada depending on how pompous I want to be that day.
God I can go on can’t I? New to the Blogging bit so please excuse me that. Will you? Gee thanks.
Okay back to the gig – we signed up and grabbed a beer each – as the others came in they had coffee – another sign we weren’t in Kansas anymore.
We were debating about what songs to do as the crowd shuffled in
“We have to do Stacy”
I wasn’t sure – hell Someone Else and People with Insect heads was going to be far enough outside these poor peoples expectations that Stacy (which combines a hideous lyrical idea about an extremely unnatural sex act with a catchy ear worm ) would make their heads explode.
That was until first singer went on.
She was one of the standard wounded dove school of female singers – and dear lord we’ve both heard about a thousand of these each. As I listened to another heartbreak being sung, a dangerous wildness came over me. The desire to jangle these bastards right down to their spleens – it was nothing personal it -- just the sociopath in me coming out. Show them something they had never dreamed existed.
“Screw it” I said, “We do Stacy”
Not that the first two songs of the set were normal earnest folkie stuff – or any kind – “Someone Else” is a cut to the chase lost love lament in the spirit Napoleon the XIV’s “They’re coming to take me away” . And Insect Heads is batshit crazy.
(No I am not going to do the lyrics just yet – we’re going to record soon so if you want to hear the songs – get the CD or the downloads or come to the shows)
And then we did Stacy – People looked like they had been hit in the face with a fish when we launched into chorus. I will always treasure the way one guy’s eyebrow arched upwards like spock’s when I sang – the funny thing is one woman in the back was in hysterics during the song (which people are supposed to me – these are jokes) while her date sat stone-faced. No accounting for taste I guess. But I live for those moments – not the laughter so much as the WTF? OH MY GOD! DID HE JUST SAY THAT!!???!?? Expressions that are equally balanced between shock and helpless laughter.
I must say we had a good time – I’m not so sure about the audience – the applause was a little muted but we expected that.
And people couldn’t stop talking about Stacy.
“You know they are going to be singing it on their way home” the enemy below said to me as we listed to the next two performers, each of whom mentioned “Stacy”. (It’s open mike etiquette you don’t dash out once you’re done – its bad you might miss something very good or very bad.
Afterwards someone said something very interesting to me – “It’s amazing that not only did you have the balls to sing that song, you found someone else to sing with you.”
I know. And I’m glad I did. Makes for good times very good times indeed.
RANDOM JOTTINGS:
From Hell It Came is just as god awful film as I remembered it being
We will be recording soon, so look out America.
If you’re starting out and the band doesn’t have a regular gig – open mikes serve a vital function – it’s gets your butt up in front of people and gives you a chance to see what works and what doesn’t .
But there is a down side: while good places to try stuff out, they can be depressing backbiting dens of ins and outs petty politics and favoritism all the more depressing because there is so little at stake.
Last night we were at Waltz-Astoria’s Open Mike (www.Waltz-Astoira.com) It’s a new coffee shop/wine/beer place in the neighborhood that has been open for about a year. A little upscale fussy/nice looking place with tables and chairs and books and games on the shelves – coffee machines desserts and beer and wine. The look said Boho with cash.
When we walked in there was one guy who looked the serious artist type cup of coffee at the table writing away in a fancy note book, and the guy that seems to be required at all coffee shops the man with the laptop.
“This ain’t our kind of place” I said.
The Enemy Below agreed. But we both knew that going in – the listed performers at the venue tended to the wounded dove/arty end of the music spectrum where as out stuff comes from the music and words as blunt instruments school. We’re punk – not all our songs are punk but that’s where we to quote Howling Wolf “get our pull from”. That a strong sense of the ridiculous or Dada depending on how pompous I want to be that day.
God I can go on can’t I? New to the Blogging bit so please excuse me that. Will you? Gee thanks.
Okay back to the gig – we signed up and grabbed a beer each – as the others came in they had coffee – another sign we weren’t in Kansas anymore.
We were debating about what songs to do as the crowd shuffled in
“We have to do Stacy”
I wasn’t sure – hell Someone Else and People with Insect heads was going to be far enough outside these poor peoples expectations that Stacy (which combines a hideous lyrical idea about an extremely unnatural sex act with a catchy ear worm ) would make their heads explode.
That was until first singer went on.
She was one of the standard wounded dove school of female singers – and dear lord we’ve both heard about a thousand of these each. As I listened to another heartbreak being sung, a dangerous wildness came over me. The desire to jangle these bastards right down to their spleens – it was nothing personal it -- just the sociopath in me coming out. Show them something they had never dreamed existed.
“Screw it” I said, “We do Stacy”
Not that the first two songs of the set were normal earnest folkie stuff – or any kind – “Someone Else” is a cut to the chase lost love lament in the spirit Napoleon the XIV’s “They’re coming to take me away” . And Insect Heads is batshit crazy.
(No I am not going to do the lyrics just yet – we’re going to record soon so if you want to hear the songs – get the CD or the downloads or come to the shows)
And then we did Stacy – People looked like they had been hit in the face with a fish when we launched into chorus. I will always treasure the way one guy’s eyebrow arched upwards like spock’s when I sang – the funny thing is one woman in the back was in hysterics during the song (which people are supposed to me – these are jokes) while her date sat stone-faced. No accounting for taste I guess. But I live for those moments – not the laughter so much as the WTF? OH MY GOD! DID HE JUST SAY THAT!!???!?? Expressions that are equally balanced between shock and helpless laughter.
I must say we had a good time – I’m not so sure about the audience – the applause was a little muted but we expected that.
And people couldn’t stop talking about Stacy.
“You know they are going to be singing it on their way home” the enemy below said to me as we listed to the next two performers, each of whom mentioned “Stacy”. (It’s open mike etiquette you don’t dash out once you’re done – its bad you might miss something very good or very bad.
Afterwards someone said something very interesting to me – “It’s amazing that not only did you have the balls to sing that song, you found someone else to sing with you.”
I know. And I’m glad I did. Makes for good times very good times indeed.
RANDOM JOTTINGS:
From Hell It Came is just as god awful film as I remembered it being
We will be recording soon, so look out America.
posted by Unknown at 12:10 PM
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