Saturday night's gig was a blast

Undertoad · 01-18-2010, 07:39 AM

For me, it was maybe the most memorable moment in the band. We're ending our second set, telling the crowd we're going to break, and this drunk guy comes up and has a request. This often happens - "just one more song!" - but drunk guy wants the Star Spangled Banner.

Dean, our singer, told him no and jokingly suggested the guy should be yelling out "Freebird!" The bar has a great laugh. Well, we've never played the damn song... nobody actually plays Freebird. But then our keyboard player, just for fun, doodles out the first few bars of it... AND OFF WE GO, like we don't have a choice.

Whoa. Dean tells 'em, "Hey we've never played this before, but, OK!" I'm grinning my big grin. Of course we all know the damn song! And we're playing it 100% perfectly, note for note... truly, never having rehearsed it once.

It seems like a joke that everybody's in on. But then the crowd gets into it. We get three minutes in, and we're near the hottest part of the song, the crowd is all flashing lighters and cell phones... when suddenly... the PA and all the amps go dead!

After a few seconds of confusion it becomes obvious we've blown a circuit, and it was all I could to to lift my bass over my head and shout power outage woohoo!!

And we all laughed. Someone in the crowd said "That's god telling you never to play that song!!!"

Undertoad · 01-18-2010, 07:50 AM

The song needs work, but I'm totally happy with the groove we manage. For a bunch of white guys much more ready to play Enter Sandman, it's James Brown's Sex Machine, in the blurriest YT video ever posted:

Griff · 01-18-2010, 07:55 AM

Way to lay it down whitey! When preparation turns into fun it really feels good.

lumberjim · 01-18-2010, 08:14 AM

got them people dancin!

Undertoad · 01-18-2010, 08:18 AM

People respond when you sing

GET UP!
get on up
GET UP-A!
get on up
GET UP-A!
get on up
GET UP-A!
get on up

Trilby · 01-18-2010, 08:31 AM

best FreeBird story evah.

jujuwwhite · 01-18-2010, 08:55 AM

Hey Cool! I had a hard time not dancing around the living room just watching the video!

skysidhe · 01-18-2010, 09:01 AM

yay woohoo

wolf · 01-18-2010, 09:56 AM

Is posting your schedule out of the question?

toranokaze · 01-18-2010, 11:28 AM

That was great UT

Undertoad · 01-18-2010, 12:44 PM

themembranes.com

January 30th The Bier Garten - Telford, PA
Feb 13th The Crossroads Tavern - Hilltown, PA
March 6th The Jug Handle - Cinnaminson, NJ
March 20th The Bier Garten - Telford, PA
May 14th The Jug Handle - Cinnaminson, NJ
June 12th - The Crossroads Tavern - Hilltown, PA

Cicero · 01-18-2010, 09:46 PM

Actually plays "Freebird": Fail.

Ut's full of funk! Who new? Awesome.

Undertoad · 02-11-2010, 12:16 PM

TOMORROW we're at R.P. McMurphy's in Holmes, PA, MacDade Blvd, three miles up from the 476 exit. We go on at 9 and do about 45 minutes. It's a showcase for the manager and if we do well we'll get bookings out of it.

This is our first thing in Delaware Co. and so I mention it for the Delco people in case they are interested.

Then on Saturday night it's the full 4 hours at Crossroads Tavern in Hilltown PA.

bluecuracao · 02-11-2010, 12:23 PM

I'm still holding out for a Center City show...at the Khyber, perhaps?

Undertoad · 02-11-2010, 12:45 PM

That's an "A room", and we are still playing at "D rooms".

01-18-2010, 07:39 AM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Saturday night's gig was a blast For me, it was maybe the most memorable moment in the band. We're ending our second set, telling the crowd we're going to break, and this drunk guy comes up and has a request. This often happens - "just one more song!" - but drunk guy wants the Star Spangled Banner. Dean, our singer, told him no and jokingly suggested the guy should be yelling out "Freebird!" The bar has a great laugh. Well, we've never played the damn song... nobody actually plays Freebird. But then our keyboard player, just for fun, doodles out the first few bars of it... AND OFF WE GO, like we don't have a choice. Whoa. Dean tells 'em, "Hey we've never played this before, but, OK!" I'm grinning my big grin. Of course we all know the damn song! And we're playing it 100% perfectly, note for note... truly, never having rehearsed it once. It seems like a joke that everybody's in on. But then the crowd gets into it. We get three minutes in, and we're near the hottest part of the song, the crowd is all flashing lighters and cell phones... when suddenly... the PA and all the amps go dead! After a few seconds of confusion it becomes obvious we've blown a circuit, and it was all I could to to lift my bass over my head and shout power outage woohoo!! And we all laughed. Someone in the crowd said "That's god telling you never to play that song!!!"

01-18-2010, 07:55 AM	#3
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Way to lay it down whitey! When preparation turns into fun it really feels good. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

01-18-2010, 08:14 AM	#4
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	got them people dancin! __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

01-18-2010, 08:31 AM	#6
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	best FreeBird story evah. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

01-18-2010, 08:55 AM	#7
jujuwwhite Capnhowdy's #1 smasher Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Rentz, GA Posts: 339	Hey Cool! I had a hard time not dancing around the living room just watching the video! __________________ I don't suffer from insanity...i enjoy every moment of it.

01-18-2010, 07:50 AM	#2
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The song needs work, but I'm totally happy with the groove we manage. For a bunch of white guys much more ready to play Enter Sandman, it's James Brown's Sex Machine, in the blurriest YT video ever posted:

01-18-2010, 08:18 AM	#5
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	People respond when you sing GET UP! get on up GET UP-A! get on up GET UP-A! get on up GET UP-A! get on up

01-18-2010, 09:01 AM	#8
skysidhe ~~Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.~~ Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 6,828	yay woohoo

01-18-2010, 09:56 AM	#9
wolf lobber of scimitars Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Phila Burbs Posts: 20,774	Is posting your schedule out of the question? __________________ wolf eht htiw og "Conspiracies are the norm, not the exception." --G. Edward Griffin The Creature from Jekyll Island High Priestess of the Church of the Whale Penis

01-18-2010, 11:28 AM	#10
toranokaze I'm still a jerk Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Little Mexico Posts: 1,817	That was great UT __________________ "Without deviation from the norm progress is not possible." - Frank Zappa It is the ignorance of ignorance that lead to the death of knowledge The Virgin Mary does not weep for her son, for he is in paradise. She weeps for the world , for we are in suffering.

01-18-2010, 12:44 PM	#11
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	themembranes.com January 30th The Bier Garten - Telford, PA Feb 13th The Crossroads Tavern - Hilltown, PA March 6th The Jug Handle - Cinnaminson, NJ March 20th The Bier Garten - Telford, PA May 14th The Jug Handle - Cinnaminson, NJ June 12th - The Crossroads Tavern - Hilltown, PA

01-18-2010, 09:46 PM	#12
Cicero Looking forward to open mic night. Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: New Mexico Posts: 5,148	Actually plays "Freebird": Fail. Ut's full of funk! Who new? Awesome. __________________ Show me a sane man, and I will cure him for you.- Carl Jung

02-11-2010, 12:16 PM	#13
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	TOMORROW we're at R.P. McMurphy's in Holmes, PA, MacDade Blvd, three miles up from the 476 exit. We go on at 9 and do about 45 minutes. It's a showcase for the manager and if we do well we'll get bookings out of it. This is our first thing in Delaware Co. and so I mention it for the Delco people in case they are interested. Then on Saturday night it's the full 4 hours at Crossroads Tavern in Hilltown PA.

02-11-2010, 12:23 PM	#14
bluecuracao in a mood, not cupcake Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 3,034	I'm still holding out for a Center City show...at the Khyber, perhaps?

02-11-2010, 12:45 PM	#15
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	That's an "A room", and we are still playing at "D rooms".

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