We showed up to the scene…as far as the eye could see, enormous boats, sand, sun, skin. I was turned on and repulsed at the same time. It was, as Nick described, a giant frat party. Goodie! Some guy had his ski boat right next to the stage blasting music; distracting not only because of the competing sound (most of the boats on the water had comparable sound systems) but also for the escort he hired to dance for him all afternoon.
There was a miniature riverboat moored behind the stage, so we hung out on there (in the air conditioning!) while our gear made its way from the top of the hill down to the stage. Once the opening band finished, we set up, line checked and changed.
The first song was a disaster. The PA started making a strange howling sound and everybody looked at Mike behind the soundboard (positioned perfectly in the back corner of the stage so that he could never hear what the PA sounded like). Mike, you hear that? Uh, no. The system kept feeding back until it became unbearable and we had to stop in the middle of the first song. Not good!
While they were trying to sort it out, some dude walked out to the stage and got Pete's attention. This may not be the exact exchange, but this is how I remember it (also, I was laughing so much it was hard to hear):
Dude: "Hey guys--y'all sound terrible."
Pete: "They're working on it."
Dude: "Everybody said y'all were awesome, but it sounds terrible."
Pete: "We're aware of it. They're trying to fix it."
Somehow (luck, I think) the problem with the monitors feeding back was rectified to the point that we were able to continue. Unfortunately, it probably never got any better out front. Let's put it this way: when your sound man calls people on the beach with his cell phone to try and gauge what the people are hearing, things are probably not good!
In spite of all that, I think the gig went OK. If nothing else, it was a good tune up for the gigs we are playing tonight (wedding in Athens) and tomorrow (concert at Turner Field). I could hear myself pretty well and I pretty well. I fumbled through a few measures of Greatest American Hero, but other than that, things were cool. My solo on Takin' it to the Streets got a good reaction.
We packed up in record time and got the hell out of there. I kidnapped Mike Key's watermelon. Ample payment for the time I will spend getting the sand out of my gear.
Getting out of Lake Lanier in the dark was difficult to say the least. I set some kind of record for the number of U turns.
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