Well folks,
3 days and several added pounds later (more on that), I'm back in sunny L.A.
Got to Gulfport, MS Thursday afternoon at the Casino Magic where EH and band held forth for two consecutive nights (Fri & Sat). After 5 days of rehearsals in Hollywood we were ready to bring it on! Jeff Sturges has written several wonderful arrangements; most noteably, a terrific overture that opens the show and which hints at the material to come as well as allowing some of the band members to really shine. I've gotten to know a lot more about Jeff over the last couple of weeks and his experiences as a composer, musician, and arranger are quite impressive. His TV credits include Murder She Wrote, Simon & Simon, and Matt Houston. He's also recorded under his own name and, I understand, is looking for the master tapes for one of his records so he can remix some stuff. So if anyone knows anything about the whereabouts of Jeff Sturges "the lost episodes", please come forward!
Thursday, 1/27: Hit the buffet with a vengeance! I love cajun/creole cuisine and to be presented with such a dizzying array of choices was, well, dizzying. We all got several comp tickets for the buffet and I've got the extra pounds in my mid-section to prove it. Then, after a brief soundcheck and rehearsal, I retired to my hotel room for some much-needed rest.
Friday, 1/28: I think a brief description of how the show is done tech-wise is worth mentioning. This particular tour is somewhat new to me in that the whole show is done without any amps for the electric instruments (guitar, bass, keys) onstage. Everything is through the PA thus all the musicians are wearing headphones (or for some, in-ear monitors - kind of looks like everyone's up there listening to a Walkman). This has been the biggest adjustment for me so far. As a bassist, I'm used to feeling a little bit of the bottom end I'm generating as well as the sounds & dynamics of the other musicians. Very strange to look at someone playing right next to me and hear it through tiny speakers in my head. As my friend and fine drummer Joey Cataldo once told me, "It's all about making adjustments." Joey, your words have proven to be prophetic.
Opening night...
Overture...Bam! New tunes...Bam! Old tunes...Bam! Panties onstage...Bam! (Okay, so they were mine. What's the big deal?)
Afterward we all hit the casino bar for a much-needed release and discovered along the way that we all know a lot of tunes from the 70's.
Saturday, 1/29: Can I say something? The band kicked some serious Mississippi ass! So fun to play with such wonderfully talented musicians. An observation: all well-written music - whether it be simple or complex - requires concentration and musicality to sound good. My hat goes off to my very musical colleagues.
Post-show...one more trip to the buffet and I was off to bed. Because...
Sunday, 1/30: Max, our very on-top-of-it tour manager, announced "4:30am shuttle to the airport!" Ah, the glamour of the road.
That's all for now music fans. Stay tuned!
--Adam
