(Note: In my previous post I said we were playing a wedding today but this turned out to be a nice birthday party instead.)
Me and the KRB had the pleasure of playing for a 60th birthday party for a lovely couple. It was planned and arranged by their three daughters and hosted at a friend's house in Laguna Hills. Of course, the day started with a trek into the OC. There was a little more traffic than I was counting on but I made it to the gig in plenty of time.
You just never can tell about those 57 and 5 freeways. At least there were no wrecks. The party was in a residence in the Nellie Gail Ranch area of Laguna Hills, a nice part of town. It seems there was a riding camp going on.
As I passed the equestrian center I noticed some activity. There are horse trails all over this community.
As my trusty GPS guided me to the venue (I didn't have time to look it up on a map so I left it up to my phone), I pulled around the corner to find Art letting me know I had arrived.
Art was talking to Skyler in that little black car. Skyler and Jack are running sound for us on this gig. I pull up and parked across the street. We had to roll our gear around the left side of the house and set up on the basketball court. It was at least a 200 foot carry. I really got a workout today as I also helped the guys with the PA equipment.
Yay! I won! I got my gear on the court first.
We kind of made a mess while setting up but it looked much better when we picked up after ourselves.
I brought my "big" rig since we were playing outdoors and running our own sound.
Skyler found himself a shady spot under the trees beside the "stage" to tweak the mixer and spin the tunes. Skyler also does DJ work.
Jack checks the monitors and the mains. He's started stealing my mic check speeches. You know, "One hen, two ducks, three squawking geese,...".
This is one of our lovely hostesses, Lindsy, and her pet horse. This horse was very well behaved and didn't eat much.
There was an impressive balloon arrangement. I thought I'd grab a shot for the future when I turn 60 (next year).
OK, it looks like the "stage" is all set. We used about half of the court and the rest was dance floor.
Here's a sound check picture taken by Skyler on his phone as he listened out front.
Here's the view from my mic as Art walks up. It was a beautiful back yard with a pool, spa, BBQ, outdoor fireplace, etc.
Art and Mario are just waiting around for the guests to arrive. We're all dressed up and ready to play.
Jeff enjoys a little snack before we get started.
We decide to have a seat in the yard while we wait. Mario says, "Look at the grouse!"
It was a lovely back yard in which to entertain.
I think we're about to get started, the guests are arriving for the surprise party. Art and Daniel are ready to make some noise.
I think this is the only gig Mario had today so he's happy to be here.
Jeff seems to be having difficulty finding his hands. Either that or he's wearing his dad's shirt today.
Skyler is ready to do the sound guy thing under his tree.
Kelly and I have a moment before we start.
And Kelly kicks us off with a little something we like to call...., music.
After our cocktail music, the three daughters take center stage and read a delightful poem they wrote for the occasion. It was funny and touching and really expressed how they felt toward their parents. It was a really nice group of family and friends.
Then it was time to dance.
After our first set it was time to eat. The band lucked out and was among the first in line. We're not shy.
Potato salad, green salad, BBQ beans, pulled pork sandwiches, BBQ chicken, sausages, etc.
I also helped myself to a nice, big, crisp, juicy dill pickle. Them's good eatin'.
Then for dessert there were cakes and candies.
It was a pleasant evening for the guests to enjoy their meal under the moonlit sky.
Here's a shot of the stage after sundown. Jack brings just enough lighting for the crowd to see us, but not enough to help my little camera take decent pictures.
We are just about to start our last set. We had two hour sets and one half hour set, done by 10pm.
My little point-n-shoot just doesn't have enough flash. Sorry for the fuzzy picture. But you get the idea.
Yes, we had dancers late into the evening.
Here's an action shot that someone posted to FriendFace.
Then after all the noise was over, I helped Skyler haul gear to the street. I was really sore the next day.
The long carry we had for this gig made me love my Rock-n-Roller cart even more. The KRB is off until our next engagement at The Ranch in two weeks, Sept. 9-10. I have a gig with Arnie next Friday, Sept. 2.
If you're interested, I've got some audio of our Brea Fest gig a couple weeks ago. I don't know how long I can store the files there but hit the links and you can hear all three sets, live as they occurred. Since the mix is right off the board you can't hear much crowd noise, but they were there!
Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
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