Gigs

I’m Still Standing

I was appropriately humming this tune as Patrick and I pulled up in front of my house very early in the morning on Sunday, June 22nd.

“I think the sun is coming up,” I said, half-awake.

“I don’t even want to know about that,” was Patrick’s reply.

And I really couldn’t blame him. Almost 20 hours earlier, we were in this very same spot, loading my equipment into his Jeep, but with a very different mindset. Heavy Water was double-booked, and we anticipated a very full day, but I don’t think any of us expected the kind surrealistic, adrenaline-fueled sets that we pulled off in those early hours in Coon Valley.

The first show was at Elsie’s Bar and Grill in Caledonia, Minnesota, where we were the first of a few scheduled acts to play Elsie’s inaugural outdoor live music festival. Elsie is going to do these once a month all summer long, and we’re booked at all of them, so if you’re in the area, be sure to drop by.

I’ve said before, every gig is worth playing, if only for the experience. If I were to sum up the entire show in three words, they would have to be “sound”, “space” and “light”. I know, I know, sounds pretty new-agey, right?

Actually, it’s definitively not. Our sound at this show was the best so far, and it had everything to do with our setup. We were on a flat-bed outdoors with our mains facing out towards another structure across the way, which provided a perfect sounding board. For the first time, the space allowed us to hear everything with perfect precision, and that really helped us pull out two really good sets.

However, I think the sun finally caught up with us in the third and final set - the light and heat was relentless, and I think it sapped some of the energy out of the band. It had it’s moments, but clearly we had hit a wall. Thankfully, the spartan crowd that had gathered outside was more than accommodating, and they seemed to enjoy every minute. I think the best thing about this gig was that we finally got to interact with the crowd between sets on a one-to-one basis. There were some real characters at that show, and they all had a front-row seat.

As for highlights, this show was the first roll-out of our All Summer Long > Sweet Home Alabama, and that was a lot of fun. The songs work together seamlessly, sometimes I could barely tell which riff I’m playing, but that was really the point. We also pulled off an unplanned segue from Walk Away > Rockin’ In the Free World– that’s a keeper.

Here’s the three-set setlist for the abbreviated show (this was a three-hour gig). I’ll post about the gig at the Stockyard next. To be continued…

1
You May Be Right
Redneck Girl (Intro Night)
You Don’t Mess Around
Stuck In The Middle
House Is A Rocking
Big River
Elegantly
You’re 16
Twist and Shout
Walk Away >
Rocking in the Free World

2
Harder To Breathe
Brown Eyed Girl
Runaway
Splish Splash
The Dance
Somebody Like You
Running Down A Dream
Jam Introducing Band
Unchain My Heart

3
Centerfield
Hard to Handle
What About Now
Fun Fun Fun
Jenny Jenny
You Wreck Me
Already Gone
Proud Mary
All Summer Long >
Sweet Home Alabama
I Want You To Want Me
Fishing In The Dark