I do have a day job. My wife and I run a Bed & Breakfast in Austin and although it is not the most "rock n' roll" of jobs it does keep a roof over our heads and does allow the freedom to be a full time musician. Today is Monday and that means that after breakfast gets served up (courtesy of yours truly) I will be in the yard working. But it looks like rain so... I could get a much needed haircut but my boy Jake does not work on Mondays.
However there is other gig prep work to do. I need to piece together a drum set for use at Ginny's Little Longhorn this week as I have a gig there Friday from 5-8:30 and then again on Saturday at 9:00 PM. I will be getting to that Saturday gig a little late due to an 8:30 show with Mike at G&S. Rick was kind enough to hire Chris Staples to fill in for me until I get there so I need to have a drum set there for ease of facilitation. I am a little nervous about leaving my equipment somewhere and not having it with me. After all these instruments are expensive and I have had 2 drums stolen from the back of my truck in the past. I am sure they will be fine when they are sitting at Ginny's. Plus Sharon says she wants to play them and if they are sitting around the bar I certainly hope she does.
What makes me most nervous about this week is time. I just finished Paul Schaffer's biography "We'll Be Here For The Rest Of Our Lives" (which was given to me by rock music nut Bill Engel) and he mentions a phrase he calls "the pressure of time". With so many gigs and so many people in town there could be some real traffic snafus. I will travel light and by the back streets and luckily some of the back-to-back gigs are fairly close to each other geographically. But if the showcases start running late then I will be in trouble... I will be facing the pressure of time.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
SXSW 2011 - How many gigs is that?!
It's the calm before the storm; the pause that refreshes; a moment to reflect before it all begins again. Today is Sunday, March 13, 2011 and the day is fairly pleasant. I am coming off 3 gigs in a row with Mike Stinson and enjoying the break knowing full well that when Tuesday arrives the brunt of this year's SXSW festivities will begin and sleep and sobriety will become elusive for the next 6 days.
I am lucky to be living in Austin where there are gigs and musicians plentiful. I play drums with Rick Broussard and Two Hoots And A Holler here in Austin and I also drum for Houstonian Mike Stinson (transplanted from L.A.) I have been playing at SXSW since 2002 when I played 1 show late Saturday morning during "Mojo's Mayhem". As the years have gone by I've played more shows with more bands. 2005 was a memorable year working with Elizabeth McQueen and my one and only Rue's Antiques show with the Allen Oldies Band. Each year has had its share of wackiness and great gigs. This year should prove no different as I am playing 17 performances from Tuesday through Sunday with 4 different bands. Here is the breakdown:
Allen Oldies Band - 1 gig
Miss Leslie - 2 gigs
Two Hoots and A Holler - 6 gigs
Mike Stinson - 8 gigs
(there may be an added show on Thursday afternoon with Mike @ Ginny's... stay tuned)
While most shows are 30-45 minutes there are a few 3 & 4 hour shows - pacing is the key especially since Two Hoots likes to play the warp speed tempos. Last year my hands were blistered by the end of it all. A job well done.
As the week goes by I will attempt to write about each show to keep you informed of the show, the music, and the people at SXSW. Thanks for reading.
I am lucky to be living in Austin where there are gigs and musicians plentiful. I play drums with Rick Broussard and Two Hoots And A Holler here in Austin and I also drum for Houstonian Mike Stinson (transplanted from L.A.) I have been playing at SXSW since 2002 when I played 1 show late Saturday morning during "Mojo's Mayhem". As the years have gone by I've played more shows with more bands. 2005 was a memorable year working with Elizabeth McQueen and my one and only Rue's Antiques show with the Allen Oldies Band. Each year has had its share of wackiness and great gigs. This year should prove no different as I am playing 17 performances from Tuesday through Sunday with 4 different bands. Here is the breakdown:
Allen Oldies Band - 1 gig
Miss Leslie - 2 gigs
Two Hoots and A Holler - 6 gigs
Mike Stinson - 8 gigs
(there may be an added show on Thursday afternoon with Mike @ Ginny's... stay tuned)
While most shows are 30-45 minutes there are a few 3 & 4 hour shows - pacing is the key especially since Two Hoots likes to play the warp speed tempos. Last year my hands were blistered by the end of it all. A job well done.
As the week goes by I will attempt to write about each show to keep you informed of the show, the music, and the people at SXSW. Thanks for reading.
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