This was going to be a cool night for several reasons, bulleted in no particular order:
- my wife was attending (she comes to maybe a show a year)
- it was the debut show for the new band
- it was the debut show for my newest bass, a 99 Epiphone Thunderbird
- it was the first show I would be playing exclusively with pick (except one song)
- and 9 brand new songs that we had never played out
We got a quick sound check and it was my first time playing the T-Bird "in space" and not simply "in place" at practice. Never having played that big beast in a more physical manner, I was pleased to find out it was not going to be a problem. And it sounded GREAT, not gonna lie.
No food at the club, so Marci and I ordered poké and walked around the corner to pick it up.
Shaun Crawford kicked off the night to a small (20-25 people) but super-appreciative crowd. He was funny, charismatic between songs, and very very talented. He said he's been in Seattle for 3-4 years by way of Texas, and has been in many projects since then. He looped some backing chords and would solo over those, as well as singing some great autobiographical words. I enjoyed him quite a bit.
We were up next and lucky for us, the crowd grew a bit. I was previously in a band called Stereo Embers and we had a nice little following. We wouldn't necessarily sell out a place like the Sunset by ourselves, but with a great rock bill, we could definitely pack the place. The members of Planets in the Ocean are all ex-Stereo Embers (me, singer/guitar and drummer), and as a result, I think a lot of SE fans wanted to see what was up. That, and we're all nice guys and, dang it, people like us!
Another big part of it, though, is because we are in Seattle, we just have people who love to see live, original music. Last Saturday was crazy with its musical choices (Cap Hill Block Party, for one), and for us to draw what we did was pretty cool.
We started the night off with a song titled, funny enough, "Planets in the Ocean." My BL/LG has a double amp setup, running stereo and more effects than he ever did before. He had mentioned how nervous he was, this being a new project and closer to his heart than likely anything he'd done before. He's quite excitable and a really accomplished songwriter with a lot of local cred, so it was cool that he had some nerves.
The nerves did translate to a handful of clams for the first song, as well as throughout the set, but overall, we all had a good time. I also busted out a pedal I picked up a few weeks ago, an Ibanez SB7 Synth Bass pedal. Still trying to decide if it's a cool sound or a distraction, but that's one of the cool things in this band. I get to do what I want, whereas before, we sort of had to support the "brand," if that makes sense.
Another exciting thing about the band is we were playing songs that we dialed in within the last week or two. One really odd timed one called "I Fought a Bear," and another one called "Darla's Song," with words written by the BL's wife. Not only that, he busted out a keyboard, which he just picked up earlier this month. Yet another cool thing to evolve my playing to.
Really excited about this band. Since we started in May, 9 original songs, *some* play on local radio, a write up in American Songwriter, and lots of positive feedback from all over. Hoping to get into the studio soon to do a couple more singles and put those out when they're done.
Last up was Electric NoNo, featuring Jared on guitar and vocals, and his brother, Dominic, on drums and vocals. They have a real indie power pop vibe, tons of energy, super catchy hooks, and a whole lot of fun. Jared wears fairy wings when he performs, and somehow, it works. I stayed for a few songs but had to jump early as I was traveling across the country the next morning. But what I saw was really great.
One of our fans from the SE days was very excited about the PITO potential. He saw how free we all were to explore our sounds and our playing, without a big rock guitar we all had to work with. We all loved what we did in that band, but this band is definitely more liberating and has a lot more potential and momentum, despite the other bands ability to bring people to the club.
Next up: 8/5 with Kathy Moore Band, and then 8/6 with the debut of my yacht rock band, Sunset Grooves, for a private golf function. Loving all the music, but the schedule juggling is pretty annoying.
