GIG REPORT - Slightly Offensive @ Alynn's Barn (Rockford)

This past Sat night my band SLIGHTLY OFFENSIVE played a private B-Day Party up in Winnebago IL (2hours away). Our bass player and drummer abruptly quit on us after our last gig and we brought in a substitute bass player and drummer to get through this gig and the next one on 8/28. I thought it was pretty unprofessional of them to just up and leave without finishing out the gigs they committed too but we can't make people do what they don't want to do...I've learned that over the years playing in bands. The gig was on Sat night and on Wed the other guitar player had to have emergency gall bladder surgery and he wouldn't be able to play the gig so they asked me if I could play the night myself & I said I don't know the leads to 2 of the songs we were going to play but outside of that...I can cover it.

My wife & I went up after work on Friday night and got a hotel room and on Sat afternoon I dropped her off at her friend's house which was like 3 min away from the hotel (very cool) and she hung out with her and I waited back at the hotel for the band leaders and we drove over to the gig together.

The gig was at a farm house. Big barn in the back which they emptied out and we set everything up. When I check out my gear to make sure everything is working I usually play the piano intro to Journey's “Don't Stop Believing” using my guitar synth. Turns out we had some players in the audience and like all of us are gear NUTS so they came by and struck up a conversation about “what is that thing?” so I showed them what it does and how I use it to go back & forth between the piano part and into the guitar part, I showed them how I play Lady Gaga's “Poker Face”, Key$ha's “Tik Tok” and they were totally blown away which was very cool for me. I showed them how my rig is all set up with Egnater preamps all midi controlled for ease of switching between everything ect.

I sprayed myself down w/bug spray, had a fan on me (high) and played the first set which went over great. On the 2 songs I didn't know the leads to the guys who I talked to about my gear did so we had our “stunt doubles” play those 2 songs (bass/guitar). During the second set they had the great idea to turn off the lights and our drummer has black lights on his kit and they had glow in the dark drinks and everything else too so it was like an “adult rave” show. Very cool way to start the second set with Poison's “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” with it all dark...almost like candlelight vibe to it. That didn't last too long because the bass player couldn't see his fret board (which I have to admit was difficult to see) so we turned on the back lights and continued.

Overall we had a GREAT time, made some new friends and the guy who hired us said on Sunday that he received a ton of texts about how great the band was!!! I'm looking forward to going back up there to play some bars/clubs and start building a following. I told the band leaders we should book a Fri/Sat show at 2 different places and we can get a hotel and play both shows and come home on Sunday afternoon. They agreed that would be very cool.

Our next show is Sat 8/28 @ Fat Sam's (Orland Park IL) from 10pm-1:30am. We also got a call from a new bar owner in Mokena who saw us at our last gig there (191 South) and he wants us to come out and play his place & another one called us in Frankfort (next town over) about booking a show with them & we already booked our Halloween show at Jameson's Pub on Sat 10/30. Jameson's has a GREAT built in crowd so that one will be a fun show. We just have to figure out what the band is going to dress up as this year :D

So going forward I think we are going to keep the "sub" bass player and start auditioning drummers this week. The guitar player just had a baby so he said his last gig will be at Fat Sam's (8/28) and so after proving myself to them on Sat night...I'll be the only guitar player going forward until we find someone to replace him but at least we won't have to stop booking shows in the meantime :D