September 13, 2003 - Flywheel - Easthampton
Max says: Some facts about last night: The show was on a Saturday night, relatively early, all-ages, local, cheap. Fact. School For The Dead hasn’t played locally (minus Transperformance, which was all covers) in a month. Fact. The show was promoted in advance. Fact. Total number of non-performers in the audience last night: 4. Number of people who hadn't made the drive up from Connecticut: 0. Fact. So adding up those facts in my special Gigometer, we should have had a fairly miserable show. I drove up at 5:55 thinking I’d be late for a 6 p.m. show, but as I parked behind the Flywheel it struck me: we're playing the *Flywheel*. Time moves at a different speed at the Flywheel and it's best to be flexible when playing there. That would explain why, arriving when the show was supposed to be starting, there was a high school band called Halted Progress recording vocals in the main performance space. They really picked an appropriate name. The Flywheel's resident booking person, Walter, was hunched over the recording equipment in the other room, intently listening to the last take. He's an older guy, who wouldn't be that out of place running the projection booth at a movie theater. In fact, that's his day job. Around 6:15 the Bourgeois Heroes arrived and Halted Progress decided it was time to call it a day. I have a hunch those guys are going someplace. Henning and Tony showed up shortly after, followed by Brian. While Walter broke down the recording equipment and the Heroes set up, we had fun poking through the records for sale in back of the Flywheel. Walter made a call and booked a fourth act for the evening, in order to stretch out the pain just a wee bit more. I don't know the name of the act (Tony?) but they were an acoustic duo, the man singing and playing guitar and the woman, who admitted on stage she was tired and cranky and didn't really know the songs, singing backup. Brian went to the Brass Cat to watch the game, Henning went home to get his digital camera. That left Tony and I and a friend of the duo to watch their set. I kind of liked their sound, so after a few songs I suggested that maybe Tony and I could join them since we were essentially the only people in the audience. It was tricky, though, since the guitarist used a capo and I had trouble following his chord progressions. But there were moments when I thought it sounded pretty good, or at least not really bad. We ended with a Dylan cover, and Tony's guitar solo impressed them so much that Tony was asked to record on the duo's record. The Bourgeois Heroes were up next, and by then the four non-performers had arrived. The Heroes have a knack for clever pop. Think: Jonathan Richman-meets-Quasi. I especially liked the song which featured tap dancing. Welcome to Northampton, cutie-pies. For our set, Henning had an idea that the four people sitting on a couch at the back of the room should come up front, so he asked them to literally move the couch up in front of the stage. They obliged and we offered to play quietly in return. Here's where the night should have become really miserable, but it turned out to be lots of fun. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and we tried to make it a special and unique show for those fans who drove all the way up from Connecticut (even though those fans weren't ours). An impromptu instrumental became the Flywheel Theme Song. Part of "Ticket to Ride" was covered. "Omnivore" was played relatively quietly. "1,000 Times" and "Talking Backwards" were resurrected. See what you missed? Feeling guilty you didn't make the five minute drive from Northampton? Good, now go to your room. It was only 9:45 by the time we were done and packed up, but I was tired and went home to watch the Home and Garden Network (we're so Rock 'N Roll!!). Tony Says: The installment of MaxFacts pretty much covered the bases for my experience last night. Nice work. A few things to add of my own: The acoustic duo didn't have a name- at one point during the show, they bickered with their photographer (!) over what their name should be but no consensus has been made. Maybe they could just call themselves "Shane and Briggs" after their first names- my guess is it hasn't been taken. I just about wet me trousers when Jason of The Bourgeois Heroes explained that the song they were about to play should be performed on a grand piano but would have to settle for the accomodating instrumentation of a ukulele and tap shoes. "WELCOME TO THE FLY! WELCOME TO THE FLY!" Wherever he was when we were playing that impromptu song, I bet Ken was grinning and playing along. "God is the reason for taking the easy way out." Actually, it was "Day Tripper" we kindasorta covered. Henning wisely refrained from taking part. Did anyone notice how Omnivore was played quietly but still was as loud as everything else? Did anyone notice Max kept slipping the "WELCOME TO THE FLY" riff into "Omnivore?" "GOODNIGHT EASTHAMPTON!.... ummm, Connecticut, I mean.... WELCOME TO THE FLY WELCOME TO THE FLY" Brian says: Yar, so I'll add my 2 cents to this 5 cent gig. In poking through records and tapes and 45s, I came across a Stringbean 7 inch, put out by my brother in law's label, Elephi Pelphi. Also an old Maggies 45. Remember the year 1994 and looking through vinyl ordering catalogs to get the best rates? I still don't know--what were those records doing there? Were they for sale? Giveaway? I also saw Peter Noone's new wave band from 1980--they cover Green Shirt by Elvis Costello. What was the name? It escapes me. I was feeling the grand ennui so I went to the Brass Cat for 2 pints and 6 innings. Sat and chatted with Matty Cullen (Ware River Club). I really should have gotten something to eat and drank after the show, but hey man, Whatever dude, like just chill, bro, 'kay? (Sorry to infringe on half the quotes in Motley Crue's biography) The gig: I got a Borgeoise Heroes pin from Jason. And thanks to Elise for use of the drum kit and awesome kick drum LIGHT! Oh, the gig: I broke a brush. I actually had a lot of fun. It's always fun playing those songs, and playing rhythm section cat and mouse with Max. And playing What the Hell is Tony Doing Now with ToneD. The Easthampton Dining Establishment Doing Business As a Diner Posing as a Restaurant with the Super Cool Waiter has good ravioli. I used to watch reruns of Shane and Briggs after school in 5th grade. Love the episode with the Sammy Davis Jr cameo. Who woulda known he could do THAT with a rope, a van and a load of TNT? Awesome. Just awesome.