A Week's Worth Of Gigs

      Happy Thursday! I’m excited. I have practice tonight. We had a gig last weekend, we’re having practice tonight, and we have a gig this weekend! That is rare. Usually, for some reason, some people don’t want to practice after we’ve had a gig. But we are this week! Also, last week’s gig we only played for an hour, this weekend we’re playing for 2 hours, so we have to get the other hour ready. I hope it goes smooth. I think it will. They’re all songs we’ve played relatively recently, it’s not like we’re knocking the dust off any oldies. I’m glad my bandmates are willing. Sometimes, as I may have mentioned in the past, I feel resistance to playing out. But not this time! When everyone said yes, I was so happy. Plus, it’s kind of not just a gig, but a goodbye. This is a special occasion. Our friends opened 13 Point Brewing Co. 4 years ago, and unfortunately, do to circumstances I’m not fully aware of, they now have to close. It’s kind of a bummer. It was a cool place to hang out with friends, see bands, play games, drink beer, you know, whatever. But sadly, it all comes to an end this Saturday. They’re planning a big going out of business party. There were going to be several bands, but I guess the holiday weekend has a bunch of people out of town. So, it’s just us. It’s a little last minute, but I’m glad we can accommodate. Supposedly there’s a DJ from 2-4, then we’ll play from 5-7, with a little time left over for some kind of all-star jam, depending on who’s there. Those are usually fun, we have a lot of musician friends, and it’s always good to jam with those who are not afraid. Some people get kind of uptight about playing music they don’t know in front of a bunch of people. But luckily, we know quite a few that have no problem doing so.

      Last week’s gigs were awesome. Friday night the Eruption played Helix Brewing. There were a lot of people present. At first there was some kind of party, perhaps birthday, and we weren’t sure how long they’d stay. They had a bunch of little kids, and were sitting right by the “stage.” I say “stage” because there really isn’t a stage, more like a staging area, on the ground, in the back of the courtyard. Regardless, there were people sitting very close to where we were going to be making noise. That does not always go well. The reservation cards on their table said: “@ 3pm,” which made us think they had been there a while. We got there at 5 with intentions of going on at 6, and figured they’d clear out one way or another. They did. But they didn’t leave-leave, they just moved. We had that place packed! Probably half with people we know, and half we didn’t. it was awesome. There was a little funny business with the PA, but it all worked out well. We rocked. There were little kids dancing, it was all very “cute.” I say “cute,” because I don’t normally use that word, and can’t really think of how else to describe it at this moment. It was like they were infected, they couldn’t keep from grooving. That’s when you know you got it, people can’t help but move to it! It was slightly awkward, since we use obscenities occasionally, and don’t usually perform in front of children. But we pivoted well, to make ourselves feel better, and not offend. It was obvious that people were leaving when we were done. It could have been the time, but it sure didn’t feel like it. I kind of felt bad for the next band. There were still people present, but it was not the same. Now I’m curious whether that was there normal Friday, happy hour crew, or if we brought it. One bartender said that regulars told her we were the best band they’ve seen there. Nice!

     Saturday’s gig was awesome too. The Calvins played Belching Beaver Brewing up in Oceanside. It was at what’s becoming an annual festival known as O’side Fest. There were 9 punk bands. A band started every hour from 1-9. It was awesome. I attended last year, which was the first one, and I was stoked we got asked to play this year. It was so fun! My wife and I got up there early so we could see everybody. The sound was a lot better than last year. All the transitions were smooth. Everyone was on time. It was great. It was also packed! They weren’t really our fans though. Unfortunately, our fans would never drive an hour to see us. But that’s cool, we’re trying to get new fans. And there’s only one way to do that: play in front of new people. I think it worked, even if only slightly. We gained 8 new followers after that show. That’s something. We got a great time slot, right between the organizers and the regional favorite. We started at 7. After having been there all day, I do feel there were more people there for the 4-5 slots, but still, there were a lot of people. Again, it made me wonder if that’s just what their usual rush time is, or if those bands had a better draw. We had no draw, but plenty of people were stoked to see us. We actually ended up signing 2 CDs for people! That was a bit awkward, but still, it felt exciting. The last band was awesome! We had seen them a couple of times. They are next level. They were very excited to see us, and wanted to make sure to reach out to us so we could play some shows together in the future. That felt good! Seeing a band who is at the next level, and they recognize something in us!? That’s awesome! I hope we can work something out. Gigging with established acts? Okay!