We played Cal's last Thursday night. A true Chicago landmark. It was a great night. WWSP really upped the ante. The Lovely Carla and the Lovely Sara dressed up in "costume", and they truly brought some excellent r&r brio and dazzling energy to the performance.
Sara billed it as our "Punk Rock Show."
It was all such tight quarters. About 30 people meant the place was totally packed. High energy. High. I think I was riding on the fumes of all the spilled beer seeped into the bar and floor of the place over the last 50 years. I thought it was a major coming out for us. At the end of the show I blew my amp (and voice) out. I take that as a good sign.
Maximum r&r. We owned the room. The Lovely Carla was dressed as a "naughty nurse" from some punk planet. She was channeling a Patti Smith High Priestess vibe.
I wore a funny hat!
For some reason, I thought of the great CBGB's in New York (never went there except in my imagination). I was thinking Cal's might be Chicago's version of that classic hole in the wall. It is the real deal. Been around for 50 years or so.
The spirits are behind the bar and in the air. Awe-inspiring.
P.S. The Telepaths followed WWSP. It was the first show of the band's new lineup. Sanjay, our marvelous drummer from WWSP is now a Telepath too. He joins The Professor who holds down the bass groove. Suddenly we have a rhythm section that rivals Entwistle and Mooney. Wow. Some how some way we need to capture that live rock sound on tape. Haven't done it yet!