They actually quit around 6:20, though, because a lively little six-year-old brought down the house with her dancing, eventually joined by Anna, and they figured they couldn't top that and bowed out.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
K&W in Laguna Beach -- Saturday, 14Jan2017
They actually quit around 6:20, though, because a lively little six-year-old brought down the house with her dancing, eventually joined by Anna, and they figured they couldn't top that and bowed out.
Saturday, January 07, 2017
Keith Plays a Cruise Ship -- Saturday, 07Jan2017
A high school bestie of one of my kids invited all of us to her wedding on a cruise ship, followed by the actual four day cruise to Ensenada. I ponied up for all four of us since getting everyone together for a family vacation is getting more and more unachievable.
I love these cruises 'cuz I get to see several darn-good bands play, and see how other guys do it. Indeed, it was on a cruise that I discovered the harmony box that's changed my life as far as songs I can successfully cover.
Right away, I came upon "Solo Guitar Sounds with Nathan" in the Atrium bar. He was *really* good, and fascinating to watch since he builds great renditions of (modern country-ish) songs using a looper. He sits on a cajon (wooden drum box), and would record a drum track loop by banging on it, overlay a bass track loop on his guitar with a octaver, start singing a verse while playing and recording the guitar chords, and then he could let the drum, bass, and chords loops run while he played lead over the top. With the vocal harmony box singing two extra voices on top of his own, he could potentially be a 7-piece band, by himself, with (arguably) no pre-recorded "backing tracks".
I was amazed and fascinated, and the only one really listening and clapping for his efforts. When his set ended, I went up and I told him how impressed I was and we talked about how it was all done. I somehow revealed that I had brought my guitar on the trip, and he invited me to "jam with him" sometime.
Which turned out to be the next afternoon, out on the "Serenity Deck" where he usually just sets up some simple chord loops and noodles around with lead guitar on top of them -- he's found that vocals "don't work" out there. When I got there, he plugged my guitar in, and I played the chords from my songs while he supplied ever-more-ornate melodies on top.
That was pretty fun for both of us, and gave him faith to invite me to get up on stage the next day and actually sing some.
Now, the cruise people put all of the wedding attendees together at the dinner banquets, and my wife and I ended up at a table with 8 of the groom's friends, all around 22 years old. But they were really friendly and after two long dinners with them, we were all great friends. That night it leaked out that I'd be playing at the "Dream Bar" stage the next day, and they all said that they'd come.
And they did! Nathan set me up with a mic (but unfortunately not through his harmony box 'cuz it would have been a nightmare to change his intricate wiring setup) and plugged in my guitar, and off we went, with Nathan promising to provide harmony himself when he could.
I started off (as always) with "Hotel California", which the kids, parents, and other adults all sang along with, and, emboldened by that, I went to "I'm Yours", which all the kids know, and out they came to dance and shout along to. Nathan was thrilled, since he's used to playing to a largely indifferent crowd (as most bar gigs go). Not to mention the kids clapping and shouting "Keith! Keith! Keith!" at the end of the songs. It wasn't a huge party, but it was definitely a party.
I had expected to play my usual mellow stuff, but since I was clearly running a party here, so I apologized that I don't know any party songs after "I'm Yours", "...but maybe this one...", and did "Wagon Wheel". After that I said, again, that I really don't know any party songs, but put that to a lie by firing up "Margaritaville". I hadn't intended to create a running joke, but there it was...
After a couple more I-Don't-Know-Any-Party Songs, I announced that I wasn't really an employee here, and only up there because Nathan was good enough to allow me to come up and spoil his set(s). I'm just a passenger along for the wedding cruise, and the bride's name is Layla. I fired it the song, and everybody cheered and the kids danced some more (and Nathan did an amazing job on the lead -- I guess after playing 4 hours a day, every day, for five years, you get good).
Then, since I really was out of party songs, and since during the wedding and reception it became clear that the happy couple's "song" was "Over the Rainbow", I said, "This one is also for Layla and Cameron" and they (and the rest of the kids, and her parents) got all romantic and slow danced.
Unfortunately, Layla had already set up a cocktail party that evening, so after a way-too-short hour, all the kids left to go do that, leaving Nathan and I to play to the actual bar patrons. So my party was over, but the remaining people seemed pleased to listen to my more mellow songs. But the cocktail party was only an hour, and Nathan was set to play for three, so the party came back after a while -- fortunately ready to listen to a mellower set this time.
I was a little afraid that Nathan would get in trouble for letting an amateur get up and do his sets for him, but the Musical Director (who's also the bass player for the 80's/90's band) came by, seemed pleased at the big dance party I had going, and took pictures and video. And later that night, I ran into the 80's band's singer, and he told me how much he'd enjoyed my stuff, and as I was leaving the ship the next morning, the Cruise Director said he'd come by too and thought I was great. So I guess Nathan's job is safe...
I've been harboring a fantasy of actually getting a job on a cruise ship, but I can't figure out how to even audition for it. Their website shows audition schedules, but it's always for Broadway-type show people, never Guitar Guy. Nathan thinks that they do need people, but at random times, and to just keep checking. He says, "But if you want the job, you'll get the job" so he thinks that I'm good enough, I just need to get (video) auditioned. The Musical Director said that it's just by the website, but she gave me the name and email address of the guy in charge of Carnival's booking.
We'll see. But maybe we can just call this Enough to get it out of my system. If I had a Bucket List, this would definitely have been on it. But maybe it wouldn't be quite so much fun, day after day after day, for literally months on end.
I love these cruises 'cuz I get to see several darn-good bands play, and see how other guys do it. Indeed, it was on a cruise that I discovered the harmony box that's changed my life as far as songs I can successfully cover.
Right away, I came upon "Solo Guitar Sounds with Nathan" in the Atrium bar. He was *really* good, and fascinating to watch since he builds great renditions of (modern country-ish) songs using a looper. He sits on a cajon (wooden drum box), and would record a drum track loop by banging on it, overlay a bass track loop on his guitar with a octaver, start singing a verse while playing and recording the guitar chords, and then he could let the drum, bass, and chords loops run while he played lead over the top. With the vocal harmony box singing two extra voices on top of his own, he could potentially be a 7-piece band, by himself, with (arguably) no pre-recorded "backing tracks".
I was amazed and fascinated, and the only one really listening and clapping for his efforts. When his set ended, I went up and I told him how impressed I was and we talked about how it was all done. I somehow revealed that I had brought my guitar on the trip, and he invited me to "jam with him" sometime.
That was pretty fun for both of us, and gave him faith to invite me to get up on stage the next day and actually sing some.
Now, the cruise people put all of the wedding attendees together at the dinner banquets, and my wife and I ended up at a table with 8 of the groom's friends, all around 22 years old. But they were really friendly and after two long dinners with them, we were all great friends. That night it leaked out that I'd be playing at the "Dream Bar" stage the next day, and they all said that they'd come.
I started off (as always) with "Hotel California", which the kids, parents, and other adults all sang along with, and, emboldened by that, I went to "I'm Yours", which all the kids know, and out they came to dance and shout along to. Nathan was thrilled, since he's used to playing to a largely indifferent crowd (as most bar gigs go). Not to mention the kids clapping and shouting "Keith! Keith! Keith!" at the end of the songs. It wasn't a huge party, but it was definitely a party.
After a couple more I-Don't-Know-Any-Party Songs, I announced that I wasn't really an employee here, and only up there because Nathan was good enough to allow me to come up and spoil his set(s). I'm just a passenger along for the wedding cruise, and the bride's name is Layla. I fired it the song, and everybody cheered and the kids danced some more (and Nathan did an amazing job on the lead -- I guess after playing 4 hours a day, every day, for five years, you get good).
Unfortunately, Layla had already set up a cocktail party that evening, so after a way-too-short hour, all the kids left to go do that, leaving Nathan and I to play to the actual bar patrons. So my party was over, but the remaining people seemed pleased to listen to my more mellow songs. But the cocktail party was only an hour, and Nathan was set to play for three, so the party came back after a while -- fortunately ready to listen to a mellower set this time.
We'll see. But maybe we can just call this Enough to get it out of my system. If I had a Bucket List, this would definitely have been on it. But maybe it wouldn't be quite so much fun, day after day after day, for literally months on end.
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