The Night Shift

[wheelzman]

I'm proud of your discipline John. True blue is

[WildcatOne]

Last night was apparently Mikey's last night with Shakedown. We played at the Cock-Eyed Seagull to a crowd of about 15 people. Had some dancers, but the gig was unremarkable other than I believe that Lynn and I played better than usual. Lynn lit up and tore off some righteous leads and there were about half a dozen folks there who really dug us. It was a small but nice crowd. Before the last set, the Volumizers showed up and hung out. They're on the regular rotation there and they helped get us a gig next weekend at a place called Beamer's, which I hear is a good place to play. Nice folks. Mikey's crowd showed up as we were finishing the gig up (the last note of the last song, at 1AM) and Mikey got pissed because we were finished right when they showed up. He threw a tantrum and slammed his bass down into the floor. He played the whole gig half-tuned, stumbling around the stage with his shirt unbuttoned, missing 60% of the arrangements...he stepped on Lynn's volume pedal and turned him off, then turned around and kicked Brandi's drink over and it spilled onto Lynn's Line 6 pedalboard. Then he crawled over between me and Brandi, sat down and nodded off but not before he cut a fart while Brandi was singing...bad air for Brandi...we love the guy, but it's time for him to move on and have his own band now with him in charge. I'm sure it will be successful and entertaining. He also pulled me aside and tried to get me in the middle between his feud with Willie, but I wouldn't go there. He's super-nice to me and he has nothing but good things to say for what I do, but he is telling me to quit Shakedown and start up the Wildcats again with me as the frontman and all that...I told him I'm doing better now as a sideman with Lynn and Brandi than I ever did as a frontman with the Wildcats. But he said I'm doing myself an injustice and I should be an up-front vocalist and guitar player, etc, etc, with him and Kim and so forth like it was 4 years ago...well, I've moved on and I've found that I'm playing a whole lot more gigs for pretty good money just playing keyboards and there's not near the wear and tear on me that went on when I was doing Johnny B and the Wildcats. I miss the songs is all. I get to work out with the Citykings, but they don't do the vulgar and suggestive material that the Wildcats did; neither does Shakedown or the Whiskey Saints or Freedom River. That's what set the Wildcats apart. We didn't mince words or try to be polite. We got straight to the point and made sure it stuck in the center of the bullseye. Folks were shocked at first, but then they dug it and clapped. But like it says, to everything there is a season and a time and a purpose. What I'm doing now is good and I like it. I love Mikey and I hope we hook up again in the future on some project, but for now I'm pretty much solidly booked and I plan to stay that way for the forseeable future. Next week I think we're either bringing in Cletus from the Hollisters and formerly Webb Wilder's band, or Tom Rodgers, who is a flexible solo artist and he can play any instrument. The quality of Shakedown will increase and the onstage tension will diminish. I wish everyone the best. I'll be at Beamer's on time and ready to rock next Saturday night. Cheers, WC1

[draglist]

Thanks, Cat. Webb Wilder... good music. The guy probably has chops if he was in that band... bp

[WildcatOne]

Howdy, folks. WildcatOne here. Drunk, and well-fed. Just got in from Miss Debby's and Mr. Blomstrom's after-tax season party over at the Fountains on Applebee's lakeside patio. Ate, drank and was merry with good folks who work hard and play hard afterwards. Kyle and Nick (I mean Chris) went with me and they had fun, too. I met a guy there named Michael who works for Mr. Blomstrom as an independent accountant...I'd heard about him before but never got to meet him. First thing he said once he figured out who I was...Mr. Blomstrom's daughter is Debbie and her husband is John...his office manager is Debby and her husband is John (me)...was he'd heard the Citykings' CD up at the office and he thought it was great. He's a guitar player and collector as a hobby, and he said he appreciated the songs and the sound we got...he asked about my '69 Les Paul that I'm holding on the cover and we talked about old guitars and stuff. Later, I went out to Vincent and got a sealed copy of "Four Lifetimes" and when we were leaving I slipped him the copy and he was delighted. Debby, who got all dolled-up and looked beautiful, ran over to Walgreen's when the whole thing started to get film for Mr. Blomstrom's camera and her car stalled out when she parked it. She walked the 8 blocks to the party and left her car there...After the party, I drove us over there, climbed in and it started right up so I drove it home. Tomorrow I'm driving Ludwig over to Randolph's (20 miles down the Beltway from here...I'm using the feeder road all the way) and Manuel is coming over to take a look at him and figure out what's up. I'm taking the Chilton's book just in case. Manuel fixed Randolph's big GMC truck ("Big Red") Saturday, which was doing the same thing Ludwig is doing...for 50 bones...so we're meeting up tomorrow. Wish me luck. Life is good. WC1

[jim sanders]

uuuhhh, luck good to John me from, lefty guitar but strung righty,cat hungry but beansNpork eat won't...tomorror ,talk resterday ya ,

[WildcatOne]

[jim sanders]

[Gator]

Howdy, folks. WildcatOne here. Drunk, and well-fed. Just got in from Miss Debby's and Mr. Blomstrom's after-tax season party over at the Fountains on Applebee's lakeside patio. Ate, drank and was merry with good folks who work hard and play hard afterwards. Kyle and Nick (I mean Chris) went with me and they had fun, too. I met a guy there named Michael who works for Mr. Blomstrom as an independent accountant...I'd heard about him before but never got to meet him. First thing he said once he figured out who I was...Mr. Blomstrom's daughter is Debbie and her husband is John...his office manager is Debby and her husband is John (me)...was he'd heard the Citykings' CD up at the office and he thought it was great. He's a guitar player and collector as a hobby, and he said he appreciated the songs and the sound we got...he asked about my '69 Les Paul that I'm holding on the cover and we talked about old guitars and stuff. Later, I went out to Vincent and got a sealed copy of "Four Lifetimes" and when we were leaving I slipped him the copy and he was delighted. Debby, who got all dolled-up and looked beautiful, ran over to Walgreen's when the whole thing started to get film for Mr. Blomstrom's camera and her car stalled out when she parked it. She walked the 8 blocks to the party and left her car there...After the party, I drove us over there, climbed in and it started right up so I drove it home. Tomorrow I'm driving Ludwig over to Randolph's (20 miles down the Beltway from here...I'm using the feeder road all the way) and Manuel is coming over to take a look at him and figure out what's up. I'm taking the Chilton's book just in case. Manuel fixed Randolph's big GMC truck ("Big Red") Saturday, which was doing the same thing Ludwig is doing...for 50 bones...so we're meeting up tomorrow. Wish me luck. Life is good. WC1

good luck with ludwig.............

[WildcatOne]

Another attempt to solve the mystery of Ludwig dying in traffic ended in failure today. I made it to Randolph's on the feeder road to the Beltway for 20 miles and Ludwig died twice on the way there. Manuel showed up, we went for a test drive. He drove and drove and drove and drove and drove. It ran. Got back to Randolph's, took off the engine cover. Polished the rotor and the points, all showing signs of wear. Replaced the air filter. It fired up; I paid Manuel 50 bucks, then I drove over to catch up with the crew and finish the day's work. Randolph had to leave early to take his auntie to the airport, so I took Jose and Arturo back to Randolph's house. Got on the freeway and Ludwig died twice. Once, going 60mph in heavy traffic and then again as I was exiting to the South Freeway just past Reliant Stadium. Sit there for a minute, and it restarts. Runs rough, though. Think it might be a vacuum hose? Well, I'm going to have to hook it up to a diagnostic computer to find out WTF it is instead of replacing every part on the van, 50 bucks at a time and having it die again in traffic after it sits for a while before I start it...this is one of the Catch 22s of my dadgum life. It's never what the guy thinks it is, and only after I spend a couple of hundred dollars on stuff we think it needs (it did need a new air filter and to have the points and rotor polished) then it still does the unceremonious up-and-die thing at the most inopportune moment. So I'm back home, thank God, but stuck back at square one. Life is good. Kyle's cool with me borrowing Vincent, but I have to get Ludwig fixed and get it done right the next time for good. Cheers, WC1