Haloooo err'body!
I'm so happy to see so many gig reports being posted to TalkBass. Pretty
soon we'll all be having fun, making noise, talking about bad soundguys
and barflys.
Last Saturday we played a back yard event, the same family reunion event
we played last June right in the midst of the madness. It's a nice
family who adopted the band as cousins. There were a lot of familiar
faces and many fun units were generously disbursed. The day began when I
picked up Johnny Magic fingers and his equipment. You can't really see
all our gear under my cover.
It was a brisk 97*F as we left John's. It actually cooled off to 94*F when we got to the gig.
Our hosts had just moved into this house last year. The pool they had started last summer was complete.
Their good-sized lot has a gate that opens to the cul-de-sac which made
for a much easier load-in than usual when playing at a private
residence.
I was able to backup almost to the stage area, the back patio.
I have a button I wear sometimes that says "First the Gear, then the Beer" but I guess Johnny couldn't wait.
Arnie and Jed had arrived earlier to set up the PA. They weren't quite
done. Seems Arnie is always running late. So after I got my gear set up I
decided it was time for a nice IPA. This one is not my favorite but it
gets the job done.
Here we are in full setup dance choreography, Arnie above, John below,
Dave in the back, Paul on the side. And'a five, six, seven, eight!
I didn't need my "big" rig today. I did bring my JBS as a backup bass but left it in the case.
This was kind of a funny thing. The band and the caterer both got these
tip jars. Then when we started playing Arnie made a big deal about
hugging the bass player, because I wasn't getting paid. At the end of
the night a half dozen people came up to me and gave me a hug. It was
special.
Our hosts have a couple of horses. I'm not sure if they enjoy the view of the freeway.
This friendly fellow didn't mind taking a selfie with the old country bass player.
Johnny is really enjoying his sound check.
The cool, calm, and collected Drummer Dave brought his small kit and
aluminum hardware. It packs amazingly small and is very light. I mean
very, very, light.
And our special guest star Amanda Kate, who flew all the way from Texas, is getting her IEM dialed in with Jed's help.
I guess I've had my soundcheck. I'm just wandering around taking
pictures now. Here's the dance floor. The bulk of the guests have not
arrived yet.
We played about half of a couple of songs so Jed could get some levels
out front. He and his band played for us at Knott's Berry Farm tonight.
Jed had a long day. At least Knott's is an easy gig.
It's time to get started! Uncle Bob says grace before everyone has BBQ.
The event was catered by 38 Degrees and they did an excellent job. I'm going to take Mrs. BassCliff to dinner there sometime.
Will you look at that Mr. @dbase!?!?! Chicken, ribs, brisket, salad, coleslaw, beans. I piled it high and washed it down with a light Hefeweizen.
I'll be right back to finish up the gig. We haven't even started playing yet! Thanks for looking.
After my late lunch/early supper I waddled over to the stage area and thought about putting on the show.
Uncle Bob brought over some special refreshment for the band. We all had
a shot just to be polite. I was able to take the rest home.
Here we are, together again, beauty and the beast and the bass player.
Arnie and his dad jokes. "A sandwich walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender says, 'Hey, we don't serve food here!'"
Johnny thought that was funny.
I think Amanda Kate is glad to be back working with her boys.
Arnie must be trying to decide wish Haggard song to play next.
OK, we'll skip Haggard for now. We'll let Johnny do his big boogie-woogie number. Yay!
It was nice to find a patch of shade by the pool on the break. This was a nice back yard event.
This little lady got a drum lesson and a bass lesson. She said, "I want to pay drums. They're easier." 
Yes, it was a little dusty out there today.
Here's Amanda with our hostess. I got a hug from her too.
At the end of the night, as we were starting to tear down, Johnny was
complaining about his backache. One of our cousins just happened to have
his handy-dandy massage device. Johnny was relieved.
John and I gave Arnie a hand packing up the PA. We were going to help load the van too.
But the van wouldn't start! The bass player had jumper cables but the FORD lived up to its reputation.
Arnie had to come back the next day to pick up his gear. I should've
offered to help, but I had to sleep in. I loaded up the gear for Johnny
and I and drove us home. I might have to let go of some of my gear soon.
There are three cabs, four amps. and a full PA system in my garage.
After I unloaded I felt like having a manly beer. This did the trick.
It was an excellent family gathering. They were generous with their
provisions, tips, and sharing their joy with us. I hope we get to play
there next summer. They are good people. Thanks for coming along with
me. I hope your gigs are returning and going well. Next week we have a
rehearsal with Amanda and another private event with her. I'll be sure
to take a couple of pictures. Take care.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
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