I guess this gig report starts a little early. That's because I'm playing on a Friday at The Ranch with my friends in the Arnie Newman Band featuring Kellye Huff. We had another paid rehearsal the Tuesday night before so I snapped a few pictures.
First of all, I got a new amp and tried it out at rehearsal. I loved it (GK MB500).
I don't think Arnie wants to be seen in this amp-selfie.
Here's John in his natural habitat.
And the lovely Ms. Kellye, sweetness personified.
While the band works with a new bass player, Brad, I took a couple of shots from the sound booth.
I'm just filling in until Arnie works in a permanent replacement. Brad is a good player and is a super nice guy. I
don't know if he'll be the new permanent guy but they are going to use
him this Saturday since I'll be gigging with the KRB.
A few days later I arrived back at The Ranch after a frustrating Friday at work, knowing that I'd
be able to blow off all the stress and have fun pickin' with my
friends. This is the load-in to the stage door. It's pretty handy.
Arnie was putting new strings on his Tele. That's his mid-90s guitar.
The 1951 Esquire is in the background. Actually that's Arnie's Dad's
Esquire. His Dad was 17 years old when he bought it in 1951 for $175.
Can you believe it? It's been appraised at almost $40,000.
I had spinach salad with grilled chicken and deviled eggs for supper. The food at The Ranch is top notch!
Here's a shot of the soundboard, dance floor, and stage about a half hour before downbeat. You see the decibel meter and the extra monitor speakers that Mark (soundguy) uses to mix when the crowd noise gets too loud. We have a pretty strict 90db limit there and sometimes the crowd is just about that loud too. They like to talk, you know. Mark uses those studio monitor speakers to get the mix a little closer to him in order to hear better. They are delayed properly so that there's no slap between them and the mains. You could hear a subtle but distinctive difference when he toggled them off and on. It gave the mix more presence right there in the booth.
Look out! Paul brought his banjo!
It'll be OK, he picks it pretty dang good.
I think Randy is a little too close to that banjo. He seems worried.
Jason wants to stick it to me. He really lays it down. I have no trouble locking in with him.
John is ready to dazzle us with a proficient piano prestidigitation performance. All these guys are monster players.
Here's the man, the myth, the legend, turning that 1951 Esquire upside down.
This amp-selfie picture has become known as "Beauty and The Beast, and the bass player".
Kellye says "Hi" to Paul. She ain't afraid of no banjo.
Our dear friend Reets came in tonight to see me and the band. She gets out to see us despite her working late. She's a real fan and a good friend.
Here's a look at our song list for set four. We had a fun night.
Oh, those pesky line dancers, right in front of me. What's a poor bass player to do?
Kellye grabbed my camera and caught me in mid-bassface.
Here's a picture from early in the night, taken by a friend on her cell phone.
How about a few photos from The Ranch's social media?
Randy was smiling all night long. He must've been having a ton of fun.
Paul played acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo, and mandolin tonight. He also plays steel. He's a handy guy to have on your team.
Arnie is in the groove.
More line dancers!
Andrew, the owner, sang with Kellye tonight. Club owners like to have fun too. Andrew is a great person to work for.
And that was last Friday night. On Saturday night I have a gig with Kelly Rae at Toscana Country Club in Indian Wells, the Palm Springs area. I'll be back to give you the lowdown on that gig. Thanks for looking!
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
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