Sunday

MAMA HAGGLIN show - 2/26/2006

Last nite reminded me why I am a musician. At 6:30 pm, my band and a few "roadies" (alright, they were friends - i love you guys!) piled into two cars and made our way down the constipated 405 to Fullerton. Destination: The Tropics - a good old fashioned dive bar - the kind LA can only dream about. After consuming an inordinate amount of fried grease at Bob's Burgers (which incidentally also serves tacos, pizza, omlettes, and the ever popular "fried mix"...don't ask) we headed over to the venue where we were greated by Caveman. Caveman, our bouncer/soundman/follow spot operator(read: waves a large maglite at the stage) for the nite, was clad in a bright yellow t-shirt with CAVEMAN written on it (so as not to confuse him with any other cavemen we may know), a full gray beard, and a black bandanna on his head.
I looked around; the place (not much bigger than a large one bedroom apartment) was packed. Packed with all eyes on me, wondering who i was. I admit, I am not really used to playing outside of my comfort zone - all of my LA shows are packed with my friends - people who know and love me and my music. These people were a bunch of strangers. We started off the set with Bobbi and as we were playing i looked around and noticed something amazing: these people were listening to me. They were paying attention. They were tapping their feet, bobbing their heads - a whole room full of strangers and they were digging our stuff! When we finished - man, what a response! Some guys shouted, "hey who are you?! do you have cds?" I couldn't believe it. In LA, it's like pulling teeth to see cds - but here, just an hour south of the city, people were asking for it! And, after just one song! These people were here to HEAR music - to be entertained, to FEEL something...not to "network", not to be "seen" and all that other LA bullshit. Bullshit that I have gotten so used to that I forgot that THIS is why I started playing in the first place. THIS is what I love - sharing my creation and experience with others; feeling and moving others to feel through my music. We wrapped up the set with my usual closer, "Me and Bobby McGee" - the place fucking erupted - Caveman threw money at us - what a rush! The poppy, garage-ish band, The Ashes played next to a still boisterous crowd followed by the headliners, and, my new buddies, Mama Hagglin. I probably overuse the word "rock" - but believe me, I have never meant it more when I say, these guys ROCKED. Jeff, Mitch, and Sandy brought the house down. They are all so fucking talented I can't stand it. At one point during their set, the PA went out so there were no vocal mics. Did that stop them? No. In fact, it's the best thing that could've happened. They broke into a rockin' jam of "Gloria" - Jeff (guitar) jumped onto the pool table, Mitch (bass) ventured out into the crowd singing one line of each verse to a different person and then got the crowd to sing the chorus ("Gloria, G-L-O-R-I-A, Gloria!"), and Sandy (drums) did THE most kick ass drum solo ever. PA? They don't need no stinkin' PA. When the PA did finally return, they did this blues song and asked me to come up and join them. What a fucking trip. I improv-ed all of this background wailing to Jeff's lead vocal. It was all in all, pretty kick ass. I talked with the guys from Mama afterwards and we are definitely going to hook up and do more shows together this spring, before they take off for the tour with BETH HART. I can't wait. And, Caveman might even give us a residency on their Monday night "biker night." Stay tuned. ;) Last nite I learned to remember and never forget what it is I love about making music.

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