(Let's see if we can breathe some life into this board. *ahem* *inhales*)
Frosty, Heidi and Frank have a fun show. My work is five minutes from my home, so I don't usually bother to tune in, but the trip is a roundabout forty minutes if I have to drive my nephew to his school for developmentally disabled kids. For the long drive, FHF are part of the morning-radio experience, and I'm usually hooked on every broadcast. So you'd think that when I learned of the opportunity to see TIMS close out KLOS' FHF show at Slidebar last Friday, I'd totally jump at the chance and get there at 6:30 AM to be part of the event end-to-end.
Heh. As if. I woke up at a leisurely 7:30. I'm past fifty now, and don't get out of bed at five any more just to beat back a crowd half my age at 6:30. I don't like FHF that much.
But for a chance to see TIMS, I'm more than happy to grab a toy for the cause and show up when they're playing. So I hauled my holiday-bedraggled ass to Fullerton, listening to FHF along the way. It sounded packed, and I hate packed. I like intimate. But I'd rather see TIMS than not, regardless of sardine density of the room, and the fact is the more pressing concern I had on the drive was whether or not I would get a parking space, let alone a good spot near the stage. As luck would have it, I was able to stalk two guys leaving the bar, and got their spot near The Old Spaghetti Factory. I dropped off my toy, waited a few minutes for the body count to drop, then was inside Slidebar just before 10.
But before I did any of that, I had to let my office mates know that I wouldn't be in until later. I felt compelled to convey the truth without necessarily exposing the underlying intent. So I kept it simple:
Unimpeachable, and no one at work would ever question my motivation to support a worthy cause.
This was my third show (three and a half if you count my first Slidebar experience), and it was as good as any I've seen. So I asked myself, what would I talk about that would make the experience unique and share-worthy? After some pondering, I realized that I'd collected a number of little thoughts throughout the show that, put together, would be enough for a modest essay. So here they are. Some highlights of my morning, in no particular order, each titled with a thematic song reference for your convenience:
Jukebox Hero (Foreigner)
Courtney takes sole control of her one guitar, setting the rig up largely unassisted a full forty minutes before the show. Perhaps this ritual is a lesson borne out of a prior disaster during which she let someone else do the work for her and they wound up detonating a Class D amplifier (which anyone in the know will tell you is darn nigh impossible). Once assembled, she tests it out by tentatively joining in for a few bars of whatever house music is playing at the moment. I didn't make a point to remember what the song was on Friday, but I observed two things: 1) there seems to be a *lot* more in her repertoire than IM, and 2) the visceral reaction of the gathering crowd wanting for more was palpable. Please, love: own that moment and give us sixteen loud bars next time instead of four quiet ones. We'll be glad you did.
Happy (Pharrell Williams)
During setup the house music was classic metal and hard-rock variety, Motorhead, Dio, DLR/VH, and a bunch of other stuff that I forgot. But the guy minding the music wasn't paying close enough attention, and about 45 seconds of "Happy" came on before someone could pull the plug. No one waiting seemed to mind. In fact, some of the gathering crowd actually started to move about like they wanted to dance, but balked because, hey, this is a metal show and you don't dance at a metal show. Wonder what Courtney would do with sixteen loud bars of Pharrell Williams. Here are ten inspirations for that idea.
Nikki (Burt Bacharach)
I had not intended to stand front stage yesterday, figuring after standing stage left at the Tiki Bar on the 10th, I'd give somebody else a chance. At 6'3", I recognize my height can block others' view of the stage, and I strive for some consideration. But during setup the crowed moved in and out, and I slowly found myself occupying space ahead of me with each passing body. Before I knew what hit me I found myself one body row back of stage right, which gave me an optimal view of Kirsten and Nikki. I've never seen Nikki close-up until today, because I tend to migrate stage left. But it was fun to see first-hand that she is every bit the badass player that Courtney is.
Don't Fence Me In (Cole Porter & Robert Fletcher)
Heard it was a packed house for FHF, but most of the crowd was gone by 10:00. Dumb people missed the best part of the morning. Better for those of us who stayed for the show I guess, but with the room about a quarter deep when it was time for me to leave, I had to conclude that, yes, there may be such a thing as too intimate a crowd. And while it was comforting to know I wouldn't have to wade through 100 feet of bodies to bolt for my work meeting, it still killed me to have to go before reaching for a copy of the set list like a thirty-something bridesmaid reaches forlornly for the tossed bouquet. Besides, I was hoping to have a my second Maidens' one-on-one chat in as many weeks. Speaking of...
Brown-Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
At some point during "Aces High," Wanda and I made eye contact, and exchanged warm smiles and mutual nods of recognition, which only served to exacerbate the heart-pounding crush I already have on her. I imagine her intended conveyance was somewhere within this parameter space:
High Voltage (AC/DC)
Here's the shirt I wore to the show. To my delight, two people independently caught the reference and commented on the shirt's coolness. Nice to know there are metalheads out there who also know their science history. You can get your own through Amazon.
Fear of the Dark (Iron Maiden)
The clear winner of Friday's crowd-pleaser, "Fear of the Dark" is a classic IM audience interactive, and this was the first time I heard it performed live. Kirsten played the crowd like a symphony, that is, if the symphony were a pack of drunk middle-aged men borrowing their kids' barely working district-owned instruments bought in 1972, back when California public schools had a music budget. I imagine this song is hard both to sing well, and to draw in the audience effectively. Kirsten delivered both with the passion and intensity worthy of the Master Bruce himself. Oh, and in fairness to the audience, we were pretty good too. Yes.
Pass the Kouchie (Mighty Diamonds, and not to be confused with the bowdlerized "Dutchie" from Musical Youth)
I caught occasional wafts of cannabis in the air to my left. I was six feet from the wall, and only a handful of prospective culprits were occupying the space between me and it. Who would be crazy enough to pass a spliff in a bar, out in the open like that? Oh, wait, it's legal now, sorta, never mind. I looked around my left. Neither was anyone smoking nor was anyone looking like they were trying to hide it. I looked up. Ah, the wall is ventilated to outdoors near the ceiling. Someone must be toking up outside. Not my cuppa in over thirty years, but I think the voters got Prop 64 right.
Seven Steps to Heaven (Miles Davis) (and sorry, no pics of Linda this time: I ran out of phone memory trying to record "Number of the Beast.")
Chatting with Linda for the first time last week at the Tiki (it was a pleasure finally to meet you in person, BTW), she told me her doctor would permit her seven songs Friday as her shoulder continues to heal. After fumbling a drumstick with what I thought was her "good side" (you gotta think that happens often with a drummer. Where do you keep backup sticks in case one flies out of your hands and into the audience?), she got as far as "Fear of the Dark" (which was fourth or fifth, I think) before I had to leave early for a work meeting. So I don't actually know if she went the distance, and if her shoulder is still okay. Anyone out there know? Linda?... Bueller?... Bueller?...
I also want to give the other drummer props for her part of the set but I don't happen to remember her name or from whom the Maidens are borrowing her.
Anyway, thank you for the show, and as always, it was a privilege simply to be in the same room with you that morning. A programming note: I also went to the Tiki Bar show on December 10th, but the Slidebar review was a little easier to write, so I just put it out there first. I'll share my Tiki story later. It's a layered narrative, and I'm having fun writing it, but there are a lot of moving parts and stories, and laying it out cohesively has been a struggle.
Soon, though. Promise.
Frosty, Heidi and Frank have a fun show. My work is five minutes from my home, so I don't usually bother to tune in, but the trip is a roundabout forty minutes if I have to drive my nephew to his school for developmentally disabled kids. For the long drive, FHF are part of the morning-radio experience, and I'm usually hooked on every broadcast. So you'd think that when I learned of the opportunity to see TIMS close out KLOS' FHF show at Slidebar last Friday, I'd totally jump at the chance and get there at 6:30 AM to be part of the event end-to-end.
Heh. As if. I woke up at a leisurely 7:30. I'm past fifty now, and don't get out of bed at five any more just to beat back a crowd half my age at 6:30. I don't like FHF that much.
But for a chance to see TIMS, I'm more than happy to grab a toy for the cause and show up when they're playing. So I hauled my holiday-bedraggled ass to Fullerton, listening to FHF along the way. It sounded packed, and I hate packed. I like intimate. But I'd rather see TIMS than not, regardless of sardine density of the room, and the fact is the more pressing concern I had on the drive was whether or not I would get a parking space, let alone a good spot near the stage. As luck would have it, I was able to stalk two guys leaving the bar, and got their spot near The Old Spaghetti Factory. I dropped off my toy, waited a few minutes for the body count to drop, then was inside Slidebar just before 10.
But before I did any of that, I had to let my office mates know that I wouldn't be in until later. I felt compelled to convey the truth without necessarily exposing the underlying intent. So I kept it simple:
Colleagues,
I will be at a charity event until noon today, and back in the office around 12:30. Please call my cell if you need to reach me.
Mike
I will be at a charity event until noon today, and back in the office around 12:30. Please call my cell if you need to reach me.
Mike
Unimpeachable, and no one at work would ever question my motivation to support a worthy cause.
This was my third show (three and a half if you count my first Slidebar experience), and it was as good as any I've seen. So I asked myself, what would I talk about that would make the experience unique and share-worthy? After some pondering, I realized that I'd collected a number of little thoughts throughout the show that, put together, would be enough for a modest essay. So here they are. Some highlights of my morning, in no particular order, each titled with a thematic song reference for your convenience:
Jukebox Hero (Foreigner)
Courtney takes sole control of her one guitar, setting the rig up largely unassisted a full forty minutes before the show. Perhaps this ritual is a lesson borne out of a prior disaster during which she let someone else do the work for her and they wound up detonating a Class D amplifier (which anyone in the know will tell you is darn nigh impossible). Once assembled, she tests it out by tentatively joining in for a few bars of whatever house music is playing at the moment. I didn't make a point to remember what the song was on Friday, but I observed two things: 1) there seems to be a *lot* more in her repertoire than IM, and 2) the visceral reaction of the gathering crowd wanting for more was palpable. Please, love: own that moment and give us sixteen loud bars next time instead of four quiet ones. We'll be glad you did.
Happy (Pharrell Williams)
During setup the house music was classic metal and hard-rock variety, Motorhead, Dio, DLR/VH, and a bunch of other stuff that I forgot. But the guy minding the music wasn't paying close enough attention, and about 45 seconds of "Happy" came on before someone could pull the plug. No one waiting seemed to mind. In fact, some of the gathering crowd actually started to move about like they wanted to dance, but balked because, hey, this is a metal show and you don't dance at a metal show. Wonder what Courtney would do with sixteen loud bars of Pharrell Williams. Here are ten inspirations for that idea.
Nikki (Burt Bacharach)
I had not intended to stand front stage yesterday, figuring after standing stage left at the Tiki Bar on the 10th, I'd give somebody else a chance. At 6'3", I recognize my height can block others' view of the stage, and I strive for some consideration. But during setup the crowed moved in and out, and I slowly found myself occupying space ahead of me with each passing body. Before I knew what hit me I found myself one body row back of stage right, which gave me an optimal view of Kirsten and Nikki. I've never seen Nikki close-up until today, because I tend to migrate stage left. But it was fun to see first-hand that she is every bit the badass player that Courtney is.
Don't Fence Me In (Cole Porter & Robert Fletcher)
Heard it was a packed house for FHF, but most of the crowd was gone by 10:00. Dumb people missed the best part of the morning. Better for those of us who stayed for the show I guess, but with the room about a quarter deep when it was time for me to leave, I had to conclude that, yes, there may be such a thing as too intimate a crowd. And while it was comforting to know I wouldn't have to wade through 100 feet of bodies to bolt for my work meeting, it still killed me to have to go before reaching for a copy of the set list like a thirty-something bridesmaid reaches forlornly for the tossed bouquet. Besides, I was hoping to have a my second Maidens' one-on-one chat in as many weeks. Speaking of...
Brown-Eyed Girl (Van Morrison)
At some point during "Aces High," Wanda and I made eye contact, and exchanged warm smiles and mutual nods of recognition, which only served to exacerbate the heart-pounding crush I already have on her. I imagine her intended conveyance was somewhere within this parameter space:
- Hey, I remember seeing you at the Tiki Bar;
- Hey, I remember seeing your creepy ass at the Tiki Bar;
- Hey, I smile and nod like this at everybody because it's part of my job on stage,
- Hey, would you mind terribly taking a step to the left? My husband is behind you and I'd like to smile and nod at him.
High Voltage (AC/DC)
Here's the shirt I wore to the show. To my delight, two people independently caught the reference and commented on the shirt's coolness. Nice to know there are metalheads out there who also know their science history. You can get your own through Amazon.
Fear of the Dark (Iron Maiden)
The clear winner of Friday's crowd-pleaser, "Fear of the Dark" is a classic IM audience interactive, and this was the first time I heard it performed live. Kirsten played the crowd like a symphony, that is, if the symphony were a pack of drunk middle-aged men borrowing their kids' barely working district-owned instruments bought in 1972, back when California public schools had a music budget. I imagine this song is hard both to sing well, and to draw in the audience effectively. Kirsten delivered both with the passion and intensity worthy of the Master Bruce himself. Oh, and in fairness to the audience, we were pretty good too. Yes.
Pass the Kouchie (Mighty Diamonds, and not to be confused with the bowdlerized "Dutchie" from Musical Youth)
I caught occasional wafts of cannabis in the air to my left. I was six feet from the wall, and only a handful of prospective culprits were occupying the space between me and it. Who would be crazy enough to pass a spliff in a bar, out in the open like that? Oh, wait, it's legal now, sorta, never mind. I looked around my left. Neither was anyone smoking nor was anyone looking like they were trying to hide it. I looked up. Ah, the wall is ventilated to outdoors near the ceiling. Someone must be toking up outside. Not my cuppa in over thirty years, but I think the voters got Prop 64 right.
Seven Steps to Heaven (Miles Davis) (and sorry, no pics of Linda this time: I ran out of phone memory trying to record "Number of the Beast.")
Chatting with Linda for the first time last week at the Tiki (it was a pleasure finally to meet you in person, BTW), she told me her doctor would permit her seven songs Friday as her shoulder continues to heal. After fumbling a drumstick with what I thought was her "good side" (you gotta think that happens often with a drummer. Where do you keep backup sticks in case one flies out of your hands and into the audience?), she got as far as "Fear of the Dark" (which was fourth or fifth, I think) before I had to leave early for a work meeting. So I don't actually know if she went the distance, and if her shoulder is still okay. Anyone out there know? Linda?... Bueller?... Bueller?...
I also want to give the other drummer props for her part of the set but I don't happen to remember her name or from whom the Maidens are borrowing her.
Anyway, thank you for the show, and as always, it was a privilege simply to be in the same room with you that morning. A programming note: I also went to the Tiki Bar show on December 10th, but the Slidebar review was a little easier to write, so I just put it out there first. I'll share my Tiki story later. It's a layered narrative, and I'm having fun writing it, but there are a lot of moving parts and stories, and laying it out cohesively has been a struggle.
Soon, though. Promise.
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