The Night Shift... Continues!

[WildcatOne]

Our new keyboard player, Hank, has slotted in; he found his parts and he has a sound that fills out the whole onstage presentation...we played in Galveston this Friday and Saturday nights at Club 21, and we hit stride after a couple of weeks of adjusting our music after the exit of the trumpet players. In my opinion, this is the best we've ever sounded. Hank also plays trumpet, and he plays the keyboards with his left hand and plays the trumpet at the same time with his right hand...he brought in a great one-two punch, and we're delighted to have him. On top of all that, he's a very cool guy with a quick wit and a sense of humor, which goes a long way in a band that plays unique arrangements and sometimes difficult, high-pressure gigs. It isn't perfect, but it's getting close to it. These last two nights brought out the best in all of us. It has everything to do with the crowd. Friday night, the place was full and the crowd yelped, whooped, danced, whistled and interacted with us the whole night. We were all pleased with the show, our band cards got handed out and everybody was smiling...these guys from New Orleans came up to me on break and told me how they played music in the French Quarter there but they just don't have a band like this in that town...we made their weekend, he told me. That made my weekend for sure, but last night took everything good that happened Friday night and multiplied it times 4. The club was jam-packed with gorgeous women and they danced the night away with us. It's funny how the "dance floor" (there really is no dance floor or stage there...we're straight-lined across the South wall and they move tables out of the way in front of us, where the carpet starts...that's where folks dance) is wall-to-wall chicks, ten-deep in there and most of the guys don't dance...they don't know what they're missing...all you gotta do is get out there and kind of move around...it isn't like anybody expects Saturday Night Fever-type moves outta those guys...but I'll take the chicks, it's OK. They caught Jungle Boogie Fever last night and they let it all hang out...cameras were flashing all during the night, there were limousines pulling up and a dozen ladies got out and came in and danced, they were lined up outside to get in...right next to my amp was a small table with these two sisters from Canada, one of them's husband bought a condo in Galveston and they were all down for the week, and just dropped in to have a drink. They ended up staying the whole night. They talked to me, I understood most of what they said, but for the most part I couldn't hear them. I told them so and they accommodated my deafness by using their hands to describe what they were saying...they were BEAUTIFUL ladies, they love to dance, and I had 'em right in front of me, right up nose-to-nose the whole time...I had to concentrate to keep from losing my cool...but I did my job. I have to say right here that I've been to hundreds of nightclubs in this region playing gigs in bands for a number of years, but I and the other guys in the band have NEVER seen anything close to what we see happen at Club 21. No single man should ever miss a Pee Wee Bowen Band show there. It's something that really STANDS OUT...it's like a beautiful chick magnet and they leave their hangups outside in their cars...A couple of the band's followers also showed up, Jackie and Rosebud...in Jackie's 2008 silver Corvette...and Jackie put on a show to rival Pee Wee's magnificent display of vocal virtuosity...she has the body of a gymnast and the attitude of a burlesque queen, and she ain't got a problem getting out there and letting herself go. We all know her and love her and Rosebud, they've even gotten us some gigs at some of their uptown country clubs, and Jackie's freewheeling dance style seemed to rub off on the rest of the dance crowd. She took it to a whole new level, and Pee Wee and the band kept kicking up the intensity...instead of playing 40 minute sets with 20 minute breaks, we played 1-hour sets with 12-minute breaks, and the crowd didn't let up...instead of the band gradually winding down the material towards the end of the night like I've seen and experienced in my past gigs with other bands, the Pee Wee Bowen Band gradually ratchets up the energy and it amazes the crowd to see these old guys play faster, harder, louder and more passionately as the evening progresses until by the time we're in the last 20 minutes of the night, we're knocking 'em out...last night we finished up the last 5 songs with "Tell It Like It Is" by Aaron Neville, "Great Balls Of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis, "Hold On, I'm Comin'" by Sam & Dave (written by Isaac Hayes), "Old Time Rock & Roll" by Bob Seger, and "Shout" by the Isley Brothers...they went crazy...It'd be fine with me to play there more often, but we're circulating and picking up new gigs at new places all the time. Today I'm going to kick back, give my left-hand's fingers a rest (they're throbbing), wipe the rivers of sweat off of my DragList Telecaster, watch the drag races on TV later, apply some silicone to George where some rubber came loose, and get caught up on some honey-do's. (maybe)...until next time, life is good. WC1

[WildcatOne]

I'm still remembering things about last night. After the gig, we take about an hour to get all our stuff loaded out into our cars. Sylvester and I pitch in and help Pee Wee get his stuff together after we get Ludwig loaded up with our stuff, then we help Jeff and Ron with their carry-out items. Everybody helps everybody else get their stuff put up. The club turned on the lights, we were doing an idiot check of the band area, and a cop walked up to us. Fully suited-up in his Saturday night crowd control gear, and we thought he was going to mess with us. He comes up and shakes each of our hands and tells us he's heard dozens of bands play there, but he's never heard music this good from any of them and he said we handled a crazy, overflow crowd with professionalism and integrity. He highly complimented us and he said he throroughly enjoyed the whole evening...I didn't even see this cop all night until then...he was way back in the shadows somewhere, watching the whole thing happen and being vigilant. We all kind of looked at each other when he walked off and went...whew...WC1

[WildcatOne]

I just remembered ANOTHER thing that happened...Friday night, I'm on break, hanging out in front on the 21st street sidewalk with Hank and Sylvester, listening to the garage band across the street at Rosie's playing "Knocking On Heaven's Door", and an SUV pulls up to the newly vacated parking space in front of Club 21. These 2 guys get out and they're slowly walking past me. One of them says "Do you think we ought to go in?" I turned to them and I said "Oh, yes, you should go in. All the women are in there, dudes..." The guy turns to me and huffs "Well! That's a De-ROG-atory remark!" I realized that these were 2 gay guys...!!! I like went, "Oh...Uh...heh heh...sorry 'bout that..."

[Rapid Randy Baker]

Man that was so damn cool!! Loved the read WC

[draglist]

Thanks, John. Terrific read as always. bp

[pro70z28]

Cool Read WC

[Gator]

excellent times these days WC...
Glad You're diggin' it !

[jim sanders]

great stuff John

[jim sanders]

WC.. 137 folks paid $5 to watch brother John's movie Water Heaters and heard you sing on a great sound system on the main screen during the opening scene at the famous Tivoli Theater on the Delmar Loop in St.Louis... man it sounded great!!! Brother John says thanks again...