The Night Shift

[jim sanders]

jeez B.P.. then i'm a bigger crybaby than you.. there is no way i can see me being able to walk up and talk about anything at a funeral.. I can sing in front of a room full of strangers... but.... man.. no way...I'm the guy sitting in the back with sunglasses on....

[WildcatOne]

I've been to funerals that turned into parties. Everybody was joking and laughing and drinking and carrying on, and the stiff was the guest of honor. Folks'd walk up and talk to the guy and make wisecracks like he was gonna get up and answer them or something. Comment on his suit, ask about who gets this, who gets that...My family does stuff like that...but it does help keep the morale up. Ones like yesterday, I know I needed to be there...but it was as I said earlier, horribly devastating to go through. After it was over, Debby went over and grabbed Larry, Jr and gave him a lecture. She tore into him like a buzzsaw. He didn't expect it, but he had it coming because he's been screwing up big-time and here he is at his brother's funeral...she blindsided him but I saw him agreeing with her and thanking her. I hope it made him stop and think, for God's sake. WC1

[WildcatOne]

This turned out to be a weekend I will never forget, from beginning to end. I signed on with Pee Wee's band to play the whole deal, all 3 gigs...we ended up playing for a thousand people by the time it was all wrapped up...I and the band redeemed itself Saturday night at Bojangles by playing a tight, uptempo and musically precise night. They have a big screen that they lower during breaks that shows vintage footage of bands and singers from the 70s. I saw videos from Don Kirshner's Rock Concert on it...The Sillvers, 4 minutes of Andy Gibb in a pink suit, singing some song that I couldn't hum one bar of from memory, gyrating and posing while the forgettable tune played...it was almost embarrassing to watch...but it was the kind of crowd that although they did dance when we played, when we took a break, they had this obnoxious DJ (he told us to turn down because we were too loud...we looked at each other like...?!?!?!?!?) that played these huge-ass disco songs and talked over the beginning and end of each song like he's the Wolfman Jack of NASA, and he was yelling and playing that crap at pain-threshold volume...and the dance floor filled up and they danced like crazy to the disco music and clapped at the end of the songs...go figure. It was that kind of scene. Pee Wee got his revenge. He gave that crowd a speech. He does this at every gig, but he told the crowd to support LIVE MUSIC. The DJ was not too friendly to us after that, but Pee Wee Bowen is not going to back down from anybody, any time for any reason. He's all about the real deal, and this band is the real friggin' deal. They can play anywhere they want. Pee Wee took that gig because the coin was good and it's a nice place, but disco rules in that place and he was pissed about it. So we kicked it up to the next level and showed 'em how it's done, live, with real instruments and a front-man who has a 4-octave range and boundless energy. Although there was close to 300 people there, we all had the feeling that they didn't appreciate us as much as they did that stupid idiot DJ with his canned music schtick. It was weird. After the gig, I drove down Highway 146, which outlines Galveston Bay, to I-45, through Kemah, Bacliff and Texas City, on down to Galveston Island to my Dad's house. My Dad is not doing good. He's declining quickly. He's getting rid of his stuff, and he gave me all his tools yesterday. Their handyman, Todd, was there to do some work on the garage doors, and I gave Todd the big ladder, some electrical parts and the set of wood chisels. I offered him anything else he wanted as well. I was named after Todd's wife's uncle, Johnny Connett, my Dad's best friend, who was killed in World War II. I feel a closeness to the Connett family. I ended up with 10 boxes full of stuff. All tools, wrenches, hammers, gadgets, a 6" bench grinder and a vise, 2 metal sawhorses, consolidated tool kits and drill bits, ratchets, saws and extension cords, etc...then I left at 4:30 to go up to Santa Fe off Highway 6 (where the Master of Sparks came from) to the Haak Winery to play the last of 3 shows with Pee Wee. I got there and there was 500 people in an outdoor open-sided pavilion. I had to park a hundred yards away from where the band was set up. I had the dolly with me that my Dad gave me, so I loaded my stuff on it and made it to the stage in one slow, careful trip...I had to push it through the crowd, who had to realize I was there and then step aside so I could get past them...everybody was there for the show...and when I was setting up, 3 of my first cousins, Phyllis, Roberta and Robert all came up and said howdy...I didn't know they knew I was going to play there...but when they found out I was playing with Pee Wee's band, they flipped and this was a major family event! No beer is allowed at the Haak Winery. It's a great place and I think most of Santa Fe, Texas was there for this gig. So they laid a few bottles of wine on the band right off the top. I took one sip of champagne but I stuck to Gatorade for the whole show. The guitar player, Jimmy, was in a rather lousy mood...he plays incredibly fluidly and he can play anything, and I noticed that he also plays chords that do not come close to fitting the band's arrangements a lot of the time. At that gig, he was playing almost avant-garde level jazz over standard soul and rock songs, and it clashed with the music. He didn't seem to care. I don't talk a lot to Jimmy. I play behind him out of respect. But I've played with dozens of guitar players over the years and I can hear self-indulgence when it happens. There is no reasoning with it, so I just play it straight and let the guy do his thing, and he was definitely doing his thing, not the band's thing...Pee Wee has told me to turn up and I did, but I didn't want to step on Jimmy's chops because he is Jimmy Fulton, and to many people, he is infallible...including himself...I just hang back in the mix below his level so he can be heard...anyway, he was way out there. He threw me off in a couple of places, his chording was so strange...Pee Wee threw me a few more rides (solos) than he usually does and I jumped on 'em and played my ass off and then came back down when the song came back in. The crowd wasn't just dancing, they were jumping and yelling and partying like there was no tomorrow. The Haaks came up and gave a talk, thanking us for coming out and playing for them, and Mr Haak did a guest vocal on an Otis Redding song. We played 2 long sets and took a 10-minute break in the middle...my cousin Robert told me he is leaving for Kazakhstan today, Monday. He's over there for 28 days and back here for 21, back and forth. I told him be careful, man. He jokes about it, but I know he's concerned...but my cousins were all kind of acting like I was something special because I'm playing with Pee Wee. Turns out that Pee Wee Bowen has more mojo in Galveston County than Elvis did...and if you're playing in his band, the whole family is gonna come out and cheer...so the second set started up and next thing I know, these folks come up to me and they're hugging me and stuff...it was a group of Shakedown fans that heard I was playing this weekend with Pee Wee, and they drove down to this gig to hang out and party because they know me from Shakedown! I couldn't believe it! 500 people were dancing in unison and raising hell and the band was red-hot, sweating and boogieing, by this time running on fumes. Then all of a sudden Jimmy goes "I gotta go..." Pee Wee turns around, and says "Wha...hey, you ain't goin', man...look at this! We got this crowd and the gig is goin' on, and..." Jimmy says nope, I'm outta here. Bye. And he packed up his stuff and split! He runs a jam at Katie's (where I'm playing next Friday night with Shakedown) on Sunday night and he went. I understood that move, but Pee Wee had "that look" like Don Garlits staring at Shirley Muldowney...and then Pee Wee turns to me and says "Are YOU staying?" I said you better believe I'm staying...the crowd was watching Jimmy pack up and leave and they were like...aw, come on! So Pee Wee goes, "All right then. Johnny, crank it up, baby. Let's play it on out." I finished up the last half-hour of that gig playing keyboards from hell, covering all of the guitar parts including solos and the keyboard parts as well. We did "Harlem Shuffle", "Shout", "Waltz Across Texas", "Mustang Sally", "Wine, Wine, Wine", "What'd I Say", "Johnny B. Goode" (I never dreamed I'd play 'Johnny B. Goode', a guitar manifesto, on keyboards, but I did all my Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Johnnie Johnson stuff on it, including that part where it breaks and goes back into the verse), and "Dock Of The Bay"...and the whole crowd stayed out there and danced their butts off...the band didn't miss a beat...I looked over at the band and they were all looking at me, kind of shocked...but I'd been hanging back so I wouldn't step on Jimmy's chops all this time. When Jimmy left and Pee Wee told me to let 'er rip, I let 'er rip and I was playing at my dead-level best to keep that gig going. We finished the gig a full 45 minutes later than we were supposed to, with the crowd howling for more but by this time Pee Wee was getting a little looped (remember, no beer...wine only...and that stuff has a kick to it, especially in 100-degree heat) and the band guys pulled me over and hugged me. I felt like I had proven myself to them. We hung out with the crowd, who love that band with all their hearts, and after we loaded out, we went and got Pee Wee and his stuff...the guy was exhausted and somewhat inebriated...we loaded his '56 Chevy up and put him in the passenger seat and gave the keys to his wife, who was sober and sent them home. Before he left, Pee Wee pulled me in and said "We gotta get you in this (expletive deleted) band, baby. That was unbelievable what you just did..." I said, keep me on the line, man. I am having a blast playing with you guys, but I have commitments as you know...he said something but I couldn't figure out what it was (I'm deaf in my left ear) but he definitely wants to keep me around...HOWEVER...I am not going to just up-and-walk out on Shakedown, but I am going to do a serious comparison between the 2 bands, because I'm carrying 2 of those guys around and 3 of the 5 members of Shakedown get smashed at every gig and I get tired of that, know what I'm saying? Well, it's time for the Big Go to start, so I'm going to click it off here and check in with the event we've all been waiting for. Safe racing for everybody today, and happy Labor Day! WC1

[Gator]

Do what's best for You!
You've earned that right!

[jim sanders]

WOW IS ALL I CAN SAY !! GREAT STORY !!

[wheelzman]

Remember what I said about it being a good place to hang your hat?? You just ordered up a hat stand fella.

[pro70z28]

Great story WC. I agree with Wally.

[wheelzman]

Cat I just reread your post and I wish all of us could have been there to see you rip it up and to see the look of astonishment on the band members faces. I am grining from ear to ear just thinking about it. Cheers to you CAT MAN.

[WildcatOne]

Here's my teaching schedule for this semester. Just came in today. Life is good. WC1

GUITAR FOR BEGINNERS - 12HRS
Learn the art of playing guitar from an accomplished guitarist with over 35 years of experience and over 100 original copyrighted songs!  Basic guitar chords and variations of chording will be covered in this interactive class.  Understand and become familiar with the principles of slide guitar and basic music theory.  Other topics include tuning and maintaining a guitar.   Class size limited to 10 students.  Bring guitar to first class.
Cost:                              InDistrict: $64               Out of District: $69                                Sr.In: $33                                Sr. Out: $38
Synonym:                                            
09/25/06-10/30/06         M                   06:30PM-08:30PM               CLC 106              J Bockelman
 
GUITAR, BLUES - 8HRS
Learn the art of guitar blues from an accomplished guitarist with over 35 years of experience and over 100 original copyrighted songs!  Basic guitar chords and variations of chording will be covered in this interactive class.  Understand and become familiar with the principles of slide guitar and basic music theory, acquire rhythmic sensibility and a dynamic presentation style.  Other topics include tuning and maintaining a guitar.  Focus will be on Blues.  Class size limited to 10 students.  Bring guitar to first class.  Prerequisite:  Basic guitar playing skills and some knowledge of chording.  Not a class for absolute beginners.
Cost:                              InDistrict: $42               Out of District: $47                                Sr.In: $22                                Sr. Out: $27
Synonym:                                            
11/21/06-12/12/06         T                   06:30PM-08:30PM               CLC 106              J Bockelman

[draglist]

Great story, Cat, as always. All I have to say is, WHAT A BARGAIN your courses are!!! That is a steal to learn from one of the master musicians of Texas. Bill