Last night was an unlikely adventure. The Telepaths had a show at Beat Kitchen, we were headlining on a Thursday night, (both a blessing and a curse), on a 4 band bill at one of the top-flight rock clubs in Chicago. Our bass player couldn't make the show, and I was on my own to get there and back.
So I trekked across the City on public transportation. Yes, a commuter rocker. I brought out my little 5 watt vintage Silvertone amp and put it in a travel case with wheels. I had my pedals and cables in a little bag across my shoulder (sort of like a bandoleer) and I lugged my Telecaster in it's hard-shell case. I trained it and bused it across the City. It all went quite smooth and easy. The train was a clear shot to Belmont, and the bus stop is right out the door. Public transportation really works in Chicago!
I was a little worried about the amp, it's got some old time vintage tubes and really those tubes are amazing, and of course I did not want any casualties. But we all made it in one piece.
On the way, I found out that our drummer wasn't going to make the show either. Shite! Suddenly our powerful 3 piece with vocalist was going to be a stripped down and bare 1 piece with vocalist. Talk about being exposed on stage!
And all the other acts: Intimate Machines, Audiobon and Farewell Captain did powerful, balls to the wall, r&r sets. I must say as the night unfolded I was dreading getting up onstage. We play very simple, elemental garage rock, and the noise and chaos created by our drummer is a huge sonic piece of our very fractured puzzle.
But we got up there and gave it our all. Turns out one of the other bands features one of the Telepath alumni, so we had a second guitar to add some flourishes and highlights to our songs. We totally lucked out on that score.
And my little 5 watt Silvertone sounded massive through Beat Kitchen's powerful P.A. It was a totally grungy, fuzzy, over-saturated sound, and it really stood out from all the other bands what with their powerful Fender and Marshall amps.
After our set, the sound guy said some kind things about us, saying he was tired of the standard 4 piece rock band. He said it was sort of refreshing to hear something different, and he thought sound of the Silvertone was cool! I always make a point of talking to the sound guys. They usually don't blow smoke up your ass. Those guys have heard it all.
So, yes, sometimes less is more, unless it isn't, and it's true, for sure, we were something different. It was sort of a mess, but we made it through in one piece. A blessing and a curse for sure.
I almost forgot the best part of the evening...
I hopped a cab for the ride home and got picked up by a fellow musician. The cabbie was a tabla player from Sri Lanka! We hit it off immediately, sort of like we were part of a secret club, or priesthood, and in a way, I guess that's true. Musicians speak another universal language. The cabbie played some traditional Indian music on the cd player for me for the whole ride home. I paid him, tipped him and wished him well. He smiled and said, "I bless you, I bless you, I bless you." So yes, a real blessing too!