The "Summer of Smooth" tour ended last Friday for the Yacht Rock Revue with a show at The Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina.
Some travel difficulties caused us to be really late (we left Atlanta about two hours later than we had intended). Renting a van and trailer took longer than we'd anticipated, and then we had to stop and grab our PA on the way out of town. Ouch! By the time we got up to Asheville (rerouting around a street festival), time was tight. We set up really quickly and sound checked. It left us an hour to eat, but fortunately the taco place up the street was pretty quick.
The show was great. We had almost four hundred people show up--by far our best attendance at The Orange Peel. From what we could tell, they loved it. We played well, and the sound was loud but pretty good. Another fun night! We were all plenty relaxed after making it through the Chastain show.
The following day, we drove down to Hilton Head for a private gig. It took all day. The trip was supposed to be four and a half hours, but it was more like six and a half. We hit lots of traffic and patches of rain. Once again, we were squeezed for time, but lucked out that the first part of the night was not in the room in which we were setting up. Saved!
I can't lie--it's a little bit of letdown after all the big shows we've done in the past thirty days. A small stage in a hotel ballroom doesn't hold much vibe. Nonetheless, the crowd for whom we played was really cool and into us from the first song.
I think of this gig is as one to help pay for our van's repair.
 |
| focus! |
In the second set, the sustain pedal on my top keyboard stopped working--or should I say, wouldn't stop working! It held the first chord I played in Somebody's Baby and wouldn't let go. On the break, I took it apart, but I couldn't find anything wrong with it. It was fine through the third set. It is now a plastic time bomb. When will it fail again? So exciting.
 |
| FOCUS!! |
I also came to the conclusion (affirmed by my leak light once we got back to Atlanta) that my tenor has lots and lots and lots of leaks. Time for a visit to Lopes. The giveaway for me on that a horn is when I can't play an altissimo A. Once that problem arrises, I know it's time. It made Whatever Gets You Through the Night (which begins on the A) really difficult!
The band had no trouble getting home Sunday afternoon. I ended up with just enough time to put my gear away and head out the door to my PM church gig. My new mic set up (with the clamp on the frame in the middle of the piano) is a big winner.
Upcoming dates! There's some California time at the end of August, a northeast tour In October, and then another trip to California right before Thanksgiving. Should be fun.
August 3, Barnsley Gardens (Adairsville, GA)
August 10, Loews Hotel (Atlanta, GA)
August 15, Georgia Theatre (Athens, GA)
August 16-17, Smith's Olde Bar (Atlanta, GA)--Please Pleaserock Me show
August 18, Monday Night Brewing Company (Atlanta, GA)
August 23, Park Tavern (Atlanta, GA)
August 30, House of Blues (Anaheim, CA)
August 31, House of Blues (Hollywood, CA)
September 26, Smith's Olde Bar (Atlanta, GA)--Sazerac show
September 27, Park Tavern (Atlanta, GA)
October 10, State Theatre (Falls Church, VA)
October 11, Gramercy Theatre (New York, NY)
October 12, Rams Head On Stage (Annapolis, MD)
October 19, Variety Playhouse (Atlanta, GA)
October 31, Georgia Theater (Athens, GA)
November 1, Music Farm (Charleston, SC)
November 17, House of Blues (San Diego, CA)
December 14, Variety Playhouse (Atlanta, GA)
