The Night Shift

Here's where we go to kick back after the races with our pals. Pour a tall one, punch a few buttons on the jukebox, and relax...
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WildcatOne
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The Night Shift

Postby WildcatOne » Fri Mar 03, 2006 8:17 pm

I would like to start a thread that will be a true chronicle of the experiences, adventures and escapades of a musician who is crazy about drag racing and is currently playing actively in 4 bands. The stories will include events worthy of retelling at Dangerous Bill's...beginning with tomorrow night's Citykings CD release party, hosted by Shakedown at the 5th Street Cafe and Wine Bar in the Kemah, Texas Lighthouse District. This will be the perfect place to start the Night Shift. The last couple of months have been full of stories to tell, but I'll start tomorrow...Kick back, have a Killer Colada and enjoy the ride.
Cheers, WC1
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Postby draglist » Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:20 pm

Can't wait, WC. Only thing cooler is if I could be there with you. bp
Bill Pratt
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Re: The Night Shift

Postby WildcatOne » Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:40 am

I sent a thank-you note to Pee Wee Bowen yesterday evening for the great time I had playing keyboards with his band last weekend. He answered my email with this:

John
I do not talk about the past very often. If   you see my web page,It will only say just a little of my past. You are a fantastic team player, I will be calling you soon for fill in. the main reason , I respect your talent is, I play keys, guitar, trumpet , sax, and try to sing. I respect you as a new friend and a modest not bragging talent.Lets  stay in touch.
Pee wee

I look forward to getting more gigs with those guys. Horns, man. It's a major kick playing with horns. They're good guys, too. The drummer twirls his sticks, cracks jokes and wears sunglasses onstage...he's a character but he is a rock-solid drummer. He gave me good-natured ribbing all weekend. That let me know he enjoyed playing with me. Damn good band...

Anyway, I'm making early preparations for tonight's CD release party at 5th Street in Kemah. The phone has been ringing off the wall and emails are coming in...it will be a big show. Shakedown will open at 7. I'll be on keyboards, Lynn on guitar, Mikey and Willie on bass and drums, and since Brandi will be out of town tonight, Lynn is brining in Tori to sing a few tunes. Ron Parks and Colorado from Freedom River Band will be there, and Ron is going to jam on some Shakedown songs on harmonica. My buddies Be Like Bob and Jerry Hawkins from the Loose Rigg Band in LaPorte will be showing up, and I expect to see a few of the Whiskey Saints there, except for St. James (Infirmary) the guitar player, who got married yesterday to the beautiful Lisa. They went off to the Bahamas for a while...We're gonna have a CD booth...cdbaby.com screwed up the mail and Bill hasn't gotten the credit card swiper yet. Damn...that means cash or checks. Folks have a drink or two and hear a good band, and their CD is for sale, a lot of times they just whip out the plastic and buy a few CDs and wake up the next morning wondering what the hell they did that for...<g>...hopefully we'll do brisk business. I got an email from my cousin Darleen's husband Dennis telling me to use the 12-string guitar on "I've Been Waiting". He heard me do it on the Les Paul last weekend and he said the 12-string is a much better-sounding instrument for that song. I'm gonna do what he says. It's a beautiful day here, sunny and mild with the weekend forecast all the same. I'm picking Willie up at Rockin' Robin Guitars & Music at 4 and going from there. Think I'll grab me an extra set of guitar strings while I'm there. More later. This is going to be the Big One for the Citykings so far this year. Cheers, WC1
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Postby Gator » Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:35 am

So Cool John ! :)
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Postby draglist » Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:47 am

Break a leg, John. Have a fantastic night. Great note from Pee Wee. He's right on all counts. bp
Bill Pratt
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Re: The Night Shift

Postby WildcatOne » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:48 pm

Last edited by WildcatOne on Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Postby jim sanders » Sat Mar 04, 2006 12:50 pm

8) Have a great event WC !! SELL SOME CD'S !!!!!!!!!!

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Re: The Night Shift

Postby WildcatOne » Sun Mar 05, 2006 12:36 pm

Last night was strange. A very up and down experience. The way they have the "stage" set up on the patio at 5th street is they have 2 4X8 sheets of plywood in the corner...ONE SINGLE ELECTRICAL OUTLET that comes off of an extension cord that is run into the inside wall outlet...we ran a 2,000 watt PA system with a 100-foot snake cable hooked up to it, the mixer, 2 sets of 4 floodlight racks, 3 200 watt amps and 2 20 watt amps and 3 guitar effects processors out of that one plug...we hooked up 6 power strips to it...daisy-chained 'em. The "stage" wobbles around like an airwalk...everything wobbles...the drums, the amps, the mic stands, the musicians. You have to maintain your balance with your body and your equipment while trying to play. It's a BAD JOKE, man. Especially if you're drinking, which we were. There was a big crowd there for Shakedown's opening set and the Citykings' first set, which was the entire "Four Lifetimes" album done live. Weird monitor mix which threw us off on the harmonies. In the 4th song, "Follow The Leader", I broke a string...a brand-new set had just been put on Thursday night at practice...how that happened I have no idea, it just went boing. That sucked. I sucked, in fact, on guitar...my guitar would go out of tune on every song. We were outside, right next to Galveston Bay, in a humid and cool place with warm lights on us...the strings were expanding and contracting as soon as I'd tune 'em...I was mortified. Most of the crowd stayed until the Citykings finished doing the album, then there were about 25 people, including 2 from my class at the college, who stayed for the second set, which was much better than the first...we did our club set, doing our flat-out blues and rock 'n roll. My system came to life and we rocked out...HOWEVER, as bad as I say I was, and by my standards, I should fire myself for such a poor display of ham-fisted guitar playing, the whole place jumped all over me with praise and wonderment of how great we sounded. Willie had us mixed out front very cunningly and apparently he covered up a multitude of sins with his controlling the levels and pans and overall sound of the band. Willie saved my butt from playing the worst set I've done since I was on drugs back in the early 80s. Lynn just called to tell me how great the Citykings sounded. His sister was there and she called him to tell him how awesome our show was. What the hell. I mean, what the hell. He said we're the best original material band he's ever heard. We sold one box of CDs and were guaranteed our own night at 5th Street in May. We also unanimously decided to build a temporary stage by laying down 10 wooden pallets and screw some plywood on top of 'em...at least that'll stop the wobbling until Cynthia's (the owner's) daddy pays for the materials to build a frame and a floor out there. Jeez. As it is now, everything's in the dirt...all the cables, the amps, everything but the drums. It ends up being a spaghetti bowl of dirty cords...aaagh! I have to give great credit to Shakedown for playing a total kick-ass first set. Lynn was lit-up and he tore the place down and we all pulled out all the stops and did one of the best Brandi-less sets we've ever done...it was the Citykings who were a little shaky...that's showbiz. Next weekend it's going to be the Freedom River Band at the North Main Ice House in Baytown. That is one hell of a good time. I think the FRB is the new Beatles of Baytown or something. We got the world by the tail out there, man. Colorado is a well-known biker icon of their scene and this is his band. They've never heard Brandi...FRB is Shakedown without Brandi, with Colorado added. Boys' night out for the band. Life is good. WC1
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Postby draglist » Sun Mar 05, 2006 12:47 pm

Thanks for the update, John. Sounds like you pulled it off despite the problems... that's the mark of a true pro.... bp
Bill Pratt
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Postby jim sanders » Sun Mar 05, 2006 12:51 pm

8) great story WC !!!! HOW big O box of CDs did you move ?


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