GIG REPORT - LIFE IS DRAMA @ Ballydoyles (Downers Grove)

This past Friday night my band LIFE IS DRAMA played at Ballydoyles (Downers Grove). This is the first time I've played here and I think they played here years ago. Its decorated like an Irish pub and when I pulled up to the pub there was a “cruise night” going on and the ENTIRE STREET was PACKED with “hot rodded” cars & people all over the place walking around. I thought cool!!! We should have a good crowd coming in for the live music. There's a space in front of the pub to unload but it was being used by someone loading up their music gear (must've had a solo guy before us) so I had to drive around to the back in the alley and walk my gear in.

The setup at Ballydoyles is kind of different. The stage is about 4ft high, right in front of the stage there's high top tables (2 deep) and then there's the bar. The space between the stage and the bar is really made for acoustic performances. On the right side of the stage there are 2 “rooms” with restaurant type seating and big wall openings like there were picture windows in them before but they took them out. The soundman is located on the right side of the stage and I'm guessing he's needed so the people on the right side of the stage can hear the band clearly otherwise just the people in front of us would just be the ones blasted!!! We were so close to the people in front of us & the bar that I REALLY thought we were going to chase everyone out due to the volume but that didn't happen and w/everything mic'd up and having an AWESOME soundguy our gig went off PERFECTLY!!! :D

Before we started the owner came up (as is tradition @ Ballydoyles) and he gave an “Irish blessing” and we all did a shot of Jameson's Whiskey (which was VERY tasty) & then we were off. The stage was VERY small and since the other guitar player arrived late (as usual) I “Bogarted” 8) the left side of the stage w/Jason (bass) where there was more room. I just had to watch out for his headstock :D I thought the first set went well, people were into it and they started filing in from the cruise night outside. After the first set when I came off the stage one of the patrons came up to me and asked “Do I know you?”...I said “I don't know, do I owe you money???” :D He thought I was someone else (my alias) so I just went and hung out w/some people who never seen us play.

When our second set started the place in the bar area was FULL and Jason (bass) asked “Who's seen us before?” and there was like 1 person clapping in the back & joked w/him afterwards that we should do that at every gig and when there's that type of response I'm going to say “Thanks Mom!!!” (thumbs up) But after that weak response he asked “how many are seeing us for the first time??” and EVERYBODY applauded so at least we weren't being ignored & they were appreciative. :D In the middle of the second set on my side of the stage I recognized the drummer from another band who played here a couple weeks ago checking our set out. He just hung out at the entrance w/the bouncer and I saw him all around the room during the second set, you couldn't miss him...he dressed/looked just like Brett Michaels from Poison. After our second set I went and talked to him a little but he really didn't have much to say but he hung out until sometime in the 3rd set. Maybe he lived nearby or he was just checking out the crowd??

During the second and third set we (Jason, Mindi & I) were regularly off the stage out playing/working the crowd and I took a couple of pics from the stage in between songs. I think I had 3 different people come up to me at the end of the night to say how much they liked the band and they were going to start following us and they haven't seen a band as good as us at this bar in a while!! :D At the end of the night when I was packing up my gear there was this young lady standing on the stairs with Jason's (HOT PINK) bass guitar around her neck so I took a picture of her & its up on our Facebook page!!! Our booking agent said if we did well here he'd book us at the Ballydoyles in Aurora next month so we'll see. I liked playing here and hopefully we'll be back again soon!!! :D

We're off this weekend since the club down in Pontiac we played at regularly (Exit 197) closed. :( We were supposed to play @ Charley Horse in Tinley Park on Fri (6/15) but they closed too so our date has been moved to Sat (6/16) @ JW Holsteins (17358 S Oak Park Ave)!!! We last played here back in April and we had 125ppl so it'll be FUN to go back here again!!! :D

Thanks for reading and all the great comments!!! KEEP ROCKIN' !!!!

Tommy Gunz