At this point I haven't even soundchecked, played a single note, or even set up my gear, but I thought I'd go ahead and get this gig report started. I hope you don't mind.
I drove up to Las Vegas after work on a Thursday evening. I hit the freeway up to Cajon Pass right about twilight. It was rather pretty.
It's a lot easier on my old Astro van to drive through the desert at night so I couldn't take any interesting pictures of the desert landscape or even the frying birds at the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility. Maybe on the way back.
I arrived at Treasure Island about three and a half hours after leaving home. There was very little congestion but quite a few cars on the road with me. I took a picture of the TI sign after dropping off the Astro van with the valet. I didn't realize there was a full moon this weekend. I wonder what that may portend?
When I checked in I asked the nice lady at the desk for the highest room I could get. She looked at me kind of funny. Here's my room.
I'm on the seventeenth floor and the view is pretty good.
I called the Bell Desk and had the bellman deliver my basses and luggage. This is all I brought besides my backpack. I travel light when I can. I don't need an amp for this gig.
Then I thought about ordering some room service.
But instead, I decided to run next door to the CVS (you don't even have to go outside) and pick up my favorite IPA...
...(Stone IPA) and enjoy the snacks Mrs. BassCliff packed for my trip.
She knows I love oatmeal raisin cookies. God bless her.
I met a friend for lunch the next day, Friday. I was in the mood for a late breakfast so Charles invited me to his favorite breakfast place. This is Ely's, just down the street from UNLV.
It struck me as a friendly down-home place with down-home food, just a nice place for a hearty meal.
I had the large four-meat omelette, bacon, sausage, ham, chorizo. It really hit the spot. Charles had the chorizo and jalepeno burrito, with hot sauce! He says he can't eat that when Mrs. Charles is around.
It was my turn to buy lunch today but, wouldn't you know it? Mr. wintremute hands me a "free meal" card. God bless'im. One of these days I'm going to pay him back for all his kindness.
Here's my home for the weekend. This is taken from the pedestrian overpass just south of TI.
I'll be heading down to Gilley's to set up and soundcheck in about a half hour. You see Gilley's there on the street with the white roof. Like the TARDIS, it's bigger on the inside.
Continuing with the play-by-play gig reporting, I just got back from sound check. It took a little longer than normal because Jason, the sound guy, had recently replaced the FOH board and it didn't have any of our previous settings. But we muddled through. Jason and his crew, Daniel, do a fine job and had us all dialed in without too much delay. Here's Jason and Skip getting acquainted as I walk into the honky tonk.
Jason chats with Kelly about sound stuff while Mario gets his kit set up. Poor Mario is the only guy who brought a bunch of gear. The rest of us went ampless.
Jason and I chat about sound stuff. I told him all I need is a DI and a mic. He says, "I like your style.". And I said, "Or lack thereof."
Jason gets Mario's kit all wired up while Skip, Art, and Daniel supervise.
It was a laid back, low pressure sound check. Jason had to take some extra time with a couple of the microphones due to some pesky frequencies in that room. Here I am with my in-ears, my mic, and my bass. I must be ready to sound check.
Everyone has iPads, provided by the club, to configure their own monitor mix. It works great, I just wish they were stereo.
Our guitar players sound check while Kelly checks her texts. It's nice to be able to turn down the guitar when you have to.
Jason had a little trouble getting enough level from Skip's keyboard. He eventually swapped all the cables and put the keys in a different channel. That cleared it right up.
After a couple of sound check songs it was decided to put Mario in a cage. You see the stage crew Daniel placing the plexiglass. Mario is just a little bummed. But he likes being able to hit a little harder and not upset the mix in the room.
As soon as we were done with our sound check a line dance club hit the floor and got their party started.
I looked for the band's picture on the big marquee out on the strip but didn't see it. So I snapped a selfie in front of our poster outside the honky tonk.
Now, because I'm old, I think I'll have a little nap before I go to work tonight at 10pm. This gig starts late but we play only two one hour sets followed by a half hour set to end the night at 1:30am. Pretty cushy gig. For five hours of music I get three nights on the strip plus free food in the EDR. The pay is not extravagant but it's more than twice as much as any bar gig back home. I won't complain. All it costs me is a tank of gas and seven or eight hours of driving to get here and back. I think Charles and the lovely Mrs. Charles are going to stop in tonight. I'd better get my beauty sleep.
A little side story:
I like going to Vegas but I don't gamble. Well, I used to, but not any more. The last big gamble I took was in 1994 when then Girlfriend BassCliff came to see my old band at the Luxor. She came for the last weekend of our two week engagement during the National Finals Rodeo. Since I knew it was going to happen anyway, I bought a ring the day before she got there and when she arrived I got down on one knee and proposed. We called the chapel, got the license, and got'er done that very weekend. That gamble has really paid off so I don't want to ruin my luck. That's why I don't gamble any more.
Mrs. BassCliff and I got married at the Little Chapel of the West when it was in front of the Hacienda, before that hotel was demolished. A few years ago, the year we celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, we visited the chapel in its new location. We had our youngest daughter with us and told her, "This is where your Mommy and Daddy got married." It was pretty cool.
So let's talk about Friday night at Gilley's, here on the strip in downtown Las Vegas.
I take the long commute down the elevator, through the casino, to the honky tonk, and start with an amp-selfie with Skip.
Skip does a great job and will be a real asset to this band as he works more with us. Sometime during the first set I have a chance to snap a cell phone picture of Kelly and the guys on stage right.
Mario seems happy despite being behind the cage. He really is a good boy, regardless of what some sound guys think of him.
As Jason, the sound guy, said, "Tonight started off skinny, then got fat, then got skinny again."
On my first break I visited with Charles and his lovely wife, and took this picture in front of a big Gilley's neon sign. My cell phone doesn't do weird lighting very well.
Then we were back on stage for our second set. Art, Daniel, and Kelly are playing something else that gives me a chance to snap a photo, probably "My Church".
Mario loves to geek the camera, at least my camera.
Later in the night the crowd got to be a good size and more folks made it to the dance floor.
On the last break I join the crew and we have an adult beverage. The DJ "Caffeine" takes this opportunity to photobomb us.
After we are done with our show the lovely Melba takes a moment out of her busy shift to take a picture with me.
The crowd hangs around even though they are not really dancing.
As I make my way back to my room I stopped to take a selfie in front of this weird artsy motorcycle that has been here for at least five years, ever since I've been playing this honky tonk.
And that was my Friday night at Gilley's in Las Vegas. I'm hoping tomorrow will be just as fun. I'm going to have a couple of cold ones, sleep in late, then hit the EDR (Employee Dining Room). Yep, big day planned tomorrow...
It's been a very lazy day for me. I slept until 11:30am and then took a nap until 2:30pm when I decided to drag myself down to the EDR to have a meal. The EDR was closed last time we were here due to remodeling. It doesn't look much different. I guess it now has new light fixtures and wall/floor coverings.
It's set up cafeteria style. It wasn't too busy at four in the afternoon.
It had been a while since my last meal so I was pretty hungry. I had a plate of salad to go with my Creole pork chop, stuffed cabbage, white fish, broccoli, and my childhood favorite, beans and rice.
I love pickled beets too. Yum! Then I had a piece of chocolate cake and soft serve ice cream for dessert.
On the way back to my room I thought just for a moment about dropping a quarter in a slot machine. But I passed. I've already won my big gamble, right? Why jinx it?
You can see the pool area from my room. They have a DJ going down there all day long. It can get rather noisy. I'm glad I brought ear plugs.
Now I've got about four hours until downbeat. I guess I'll watch a movie and take in the view from my room.
I forgot to tell you, Kelly was interviewed last night by a fan for a website. Here's the glam shot in front of the honky tonk.
Let's start Saturday evening with a couple of sunset views from my room. This is facing out to the west.
You see the Mirage, the Rio, the Palms, and the Wyndham hotel/casinos. Here is the view looking south down the strip.
I started Saturday night with another amp-selfie with Skip.
Here's the two-stepping crowd. Tonight was much busier than last night. Everyone was having fun and we got good response.
On the break I walked out front to get some "fresh" air. There used to be a pirate and sea witch show on this ship in front of Treasure Island. It was fun but a little risque.
This is the main entrance to Gilley's off the street.
Kelly is singing "My Church" while Daniel plays the guitar intro. Since I don't play the intro I have a chance to snap a picture.
I reached up over the cage to snap a photo of Mario. It must be hard for him to see through that scratched and dirty plexiglass.
Skip tips his hat to the crowd.
Here are a couple of crowd shots. The bull wasn't too busy tonight. It seems most of the crowd came out to dance.
This blonde lady was really digging the band all night, dancing right in front of the stage.
Before I knew it, the night was over. It was an easy tear-down for me.
Now all that's left is my drive home in the morning, which was uneventful. I'll get started as early as possible but it's still going to be a madhouse with everyone driving home on Sunday morning. Wish me luck. Thanks for coming along with me this weekend.
It just so happened that Kelly's Aunt Candy took a cell phone video of the band. It sounds terrible but shows how much fun we had.
Here's what these tunes are supposed to sound like.
"I Want You Back" - Michael Jackson:
"I Want You To Want Me" - Cheap Trick:
Anyway, thanks for looking! I've got more gigs coming up soon. Please share my blog with others whom you want to bore to tears.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
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