Slice of Life: Getting Ready to Gig

(This is a post for Slice of Life.)
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Lately, I’ve noticed that our mail does not get delivered anymore during winter storms. Whatever happened to “neither rain nor snow …” and all that? I don’t begrudge the mail service, of course, and last night, a friend and I were driving home in some of the worst conditions of the winter: snow, sleet, freezing rain. Things were slick.

And all because my band — Duke Rushmore — is gearing up for a gig this coming Friday night (passing through Western Massachusetts? Come to the Paper City Brewery in Holyoke, from 6-8 p.m. — see you there!). We jammed the songs out one last time, worked through a few pieces that are new for us, and then began to pack up the gear that we need to lug to the brewery. (We need roadies.)

Getting ready for the gig

I have some revisions to do on my notes, which I keep handy in the days before the gig to help me stay focused. You can see all the scribbles, arrows, and other handwritten notes that I need to use to adjust my notes. During gigs, I barely glance at them. But before the gigs, I consult them quite a bit, thinking of song keys, solo sequences, changes, background vocals, etc.

Duke Rushmore 2Friday will be here soon and we get to rock and roll. What’s better than that?

Peace (in the gig),
Kevin

 

12 Comments
  1. How awesome to see the prep that goes into a gig. It’s interesting to see the difference between how you use your notes before vs. during a gig. I’m always in awe of musicians and have an incredible respect for the talent you all have. Good luck Friday!

  2. You really do have a million different talents. It’s fun to see your notes- I always love going behind the scenes into worlds that I don’t know at all! Have fun!

  3. It’s so cool seeing your notes. It’s like an insider’s view on being in a rock band!! Next time I’m visiting my family in Western MA, I’ll have to check and see if you’re playing! I’d love to see a show!! 🙂

  4. Hidden talents are always fun to discover! Gig notes are like editing written work. Kids should see that, too.

  5. Sounds fun. You are always sharing amazing things. Sometimes it makes me wish I lived closer to some of these cool events.

  6. What a cool thing to have a “gig” to prepare for. 😉 One of my dreams is to be a backup singer. Ha. Unfortunately, I have no singing talent!

  7. I will have to show this to my son. He is in a band too. He wants playing his guitar to be his plan A but his dad and I keep telling him something different!

  8. What fun! All of this sounded so familiar. My husband was in a band for over 20 years and they still talk about getting back together. Wish we lived close enough to come see you.

  9. Fail to plan, plan to fail. comes to mind when I read this piece Kevin. Your preparation clearly drives a desire to perform well in this gig. It is a commitment to your audience. It is a way of approaching life too. A song about the missing mail might be a possibility as well- who knows?
    Have a blast with the gig…

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