I did, however, play both my church gigs. The first gig was supposed to be rocking with V-Drums by now, but the pastor decided not to spend the money. "Tell him [the drummer] to play softer." I guess that works too.
Church gig number two had a bad piano microphone that kept shorting out (and clipping) during the opening hymn. I swapped the cable, but it still crackled. I swapped channels, but it still crackled. I unplugged it and put a handheld microphone directly on the soundboard--no crackles. Hooray for me.
Yacht Rock showed up at Piedmont Park to play the Peachtree Road Race finish line again this year. Once again, the people controlling the event did not have it together (it being their shit). The first person I came up against (blocking the road) could not find my name or Yacht Rock on his list, so I was not allowed through--I had to make a big loop through Virginia Highland. I doubled back and pulled up to a different guy who didn't even check his list--I said I was in the band and he said "Good luck!" When I got down to 10th and Monroe (we were supposed to be allowed onto 10th to unload behind the stage), I was rejected by another race volunteer who told me that all band stuff had to go to the Park Tavern parking lot (which means I would have to haul it halfway across the park). I said I had all this equipment to unload, and she sent me to the Park Tavern (which also gave me the pleasure of trying to make a U turn at 10th and Monroe). I pulled into the Park Tavern parking lot, loaded my cart, and then we got word that we COULD go to 10th to unload. Everything back in the truck, drove around to 10th, unloaded, U turn on 10th, back to the Park Tavern parking lot, and walked back across the park to set up.
The gig itself was cool. It sounded great (just like last year). We were on a big stage which gave us enough separation so that nobody had to play loud. It was very comfortable. Also, hot. I sat in the sun for much of it. Boo.
The gig ended, we packed up, and hauled our gear across the park back to our cars (getting cars back onto 10 Street was impossible). I went home, did some laundry, tried to figure out my effects pedal (my harmonies are getting garbled when the rest of the band bleeds into the mic), ate lunch, and headed to the Aquarium for our next gig of the day.
We got there at 4 PM. It was super crazy hot--on the top floor of the Aquarium parking garage in a open sided tent. Who's ever actually been up there? Now I have. We set up, and then the rains came, so we put tarps on everything and went and hid in the Aquarium. Once the rain passed, the sound man determined that it was too risky to power up his gear because it was all soaked. No PA, no band. We were dispersed.
It was kind of a weird situation. The skies actually were clear as we were loading out, and the sound guy had no remorse for killing the gig. I'm not sure I'd be willing to possibly fry my gear either, but it would have been a little cooler if he'd tried to find some way to make the gig work. After all, it's our reputation on the line, not his. I'm sure people who came to see us didn't walk away complaining about the sound man--they complained because we didn't play.
On the other hand, why do people keep trying to do events outside in the middle of the summer in Atlanta? The U2 set, the gig on the square in Marietta, this gig…all were hit with rain. If it's not the rain, it's the oppressive heat. Who wants to be outside in this?
Anyway…I made it home before the next line of thunderstorms came through. Pete and Nick stayed behind to DJ the Aquarium (with iPods) so there'd be some kind of music. They ended up using the Aquarium's in house PA (from Active Productions). Uuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh…
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