I’m getting slowly but surely the opportunity to see in action some of the bands and musicians I’ve solicited for the summer festivals. And—of course—I can’t resist comparing Deathgrass to those other guys. This isn’t meant to be critical of the other guys—but here’s some things I think we’re doing right:

NO PROPS. No music stands, no music books. I’ll have a list, on a little scrap of corkboard propped unobtrusively against a mike stand, but that’s it. Nothing comes between us and the audience.

WE’RE ORGANIZED. We know what we’re going to play, and how we’re going to play it. Everybody got the setlists and CDs and we’ve practiced everything at least once, to the point where everybody’s comfortable with it. We don’t need to talk about this on stage, because we know exactly what we’re doing.

NO DEAD SPACE. I refuse to give the audience an opportunity to be bored by silence. There’ll be a Rap between songs—scripted out in advance, just like the setlist. It also allows one to insert announcements of future gigs and appeals to buy the CD and sign up for the “joelist†without being obvious about it. It’s not the only way to do it—but it’s one that works.

WE KNOW WHAT WE’RE DOING. Perhaps more important, we come across like we know what we’re doing. We don’t have to look at each other; we start and finish precisely on time. Everybody in the band knows what everybody else is going to do because it’s all been worked out ahead of time. And we don’t deviate from it.

And one I debated including, because nobody pays attention to it and it may not be important to anybody but me: NO COVERS. Writers are supposed to get paid when you’re being paid to play their stuff. All the material we perform is either original or public domain or (in a couple of instances) where the writers have given permission. I’ve never seen any point in contributing to the famosity of already-famous people anyway. I realize nobody cares. But I still think we’re doing it right.

Took some promotional photos of the Ocean Bottom Blues Band last night; I think, though, I figured out how to do it better. They’ll be playing the 2^nd Street Market again on March 30 and I’ll try to go and take more photos. I took some video footage, too, with Sara’s iPhone (and hopefully some of the 42 minutes’ worth of footage comes out usable). I should plan on doing this with all of the artists and groups I’m soliciting for the summer festivals. This way, if they didn’t have live concert footage and a promotional photo as part of their marketing package, they will have ones they can use from me.

Got to participate in Jim Loughrie’s jam session at Corky’s Friday night, too (after watching other people play music for two hours, I had really itchy fingers). Turned out I knew just about all the musicians—this may be a real small fraternity in Tillamook County—and I got to be the lead guitarist, too (by default—they didn’t have anyone else, and I couldn’t sing anything because I had a cold). My little amp has lost its “clean†circuit, so everything comes out fuzzy—not bad for rock ‘n’ roll lead but a little limiting for other stuff. I do not want to buy another amp. I wonder if I can fix it.

And upcoming? Marimba practice Sunday; practice with Denise Monday afternoon with the new band Monday night; caller class Tuesday; square dance meeting and caller practice Wednesday night. Music hopefully Sunday, Thursday and Friday nights.

Joe