October 26-27th--George's Majestic
Lounge--Fayetteville, Arkansas--Generally, these newsletter entries
are designed to be objective and informative enough for those who
unfortunately missed the show. This week, I thought I might share
our show experience from a singular perspective; namely mine. In
the coming weeks, I hope to finagle the perspective of my fellow
band-mates.
I always get a little pumped for the George's
show. Not that I don't get that way for every opportunity to
perform, but George's has historically had great crowds and has produced
many of our best performances. The preparation begins almost
immediately following the previous week's show. Drive down to the
music shop to pick up some new drumsticks and a replacement drumhead,
call Brian to double check the load-in time, and listen to some
previously recorded Oreo Blue shows to keep the material fresh in my
mind. On Friday, we set up at about 4:30 and sound check at about
5:15. There always seems to be something quirky during sound check
that slows things down. This night, it might be some unexplainable
feedback. On other nights, it might be a blown speaker or a
microphone cable that doesn't work. In any case, it usually pushes
us to mere moments before the happy hour show time at 6:00. I
prefer to warm up my hands prior to the show to be loose and relaxed and
able to perform to the best of my ability. Without that extra
time, I might play stiff or risk injury. The show starts and the
people flock in. Many are coming in for the discounted drinks, but
find themselves caught up in our music. It was a bit loud this
night at first. But as the place crowded, the energy started emanating
from the stage and the folks got caught up in what Brian calls "the
infectious groove." I bought a new ride cymbal last week with
a bell like an anvil and since I did not warm up, I started feeling the
pain early. Like a football player in cold weather, you just want
to get that first hit out of the way so your body warms up.
Likewise, I figured, "Just play through it...happy hour is, well,
only an hour." Banging away like a circus chimp grinning all
the way. Gary, Rod and I went to Penguin Ed's BBQ for the
ceremonial dinner between shows. Yummy. I won't say more
since I am rambling...
Saturday came early. The Razorbacks played Auburn
at 11:30 and I had to be up to watch the game even though I
didn't get home until 3:30am. Our team won (Go Hogs!), so the hope
for a great night was on. I got to the club a little too early
finding myself with nothing to do. I guess I was so excited to
play, I thought that maybe we could start at, say, 7:00 instead of
9:30. Well, of course I was wrong, but I knew that. Anxiety
just got the best of me. I drove over to my office a few blocks
away to check e-mail and then back to the club to take advantage of the
extra time to warm up my hands and feet. After last night, my
hands felt like they had gone through a prize fight. Bruised and
blistered. I could barely make a fist without wincing.
Show time came and the crowd was as wonderful as we could have
hoped. The band was really kicking. I was having a great
time embellishing the grooves a bit in all the excitement hoping nobody
would notice (or maybe that they would...). I particularly enjoyed
the solo sections on Killing Floor and Brian's solo on Brick
House. David Renko from the Cate Brothers joined in the fun
blowing a hot sax on a shuffling version of Little Red Rooster.
Dave was dressed up for Halloween as the Devil...in a blue dress!
I also enjoyed having Sterling Tucker up from the Take Cover band to
lead us in Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh. After packing up and
loading out, I must admit that I was physically tired. I was still
"up" from the adrenaline and water-logged from all the water I
drank. Sometimes after a good weekend it seems like we should
celebrate. However, more often than not, it is just time to get
home and get some sleep. On the way home, I pulled into a Taco
Bell and celebrated with a few burritos and a large Mountain Dew.
And started thinking about next weekend's show...
October 22nd--Cyberspace--There are often some
indications that you have 'made it' as a band or a musician. These
days, if someone is selling your memorabilia on Ebay, then surely...
Ebay
Item # 1475997930
October 19th--Texas Guitar Show--Arlington, Texas--Touted
as one of the largest guitar shows in the country, Oreo Blue was invited
to perform at the pre-show party by the show's organizers.
Performing one set for the guitar enthusiasts, Oreo Blue showcased why Gary Hutchison stands tall
among the vast sea of guitar players in the world. Soon after, the
stage was overtaken by jam session players of all kinds. The
next day at the guitar show, Oreo Blue received numerous compliments on
its performance. I got to go to The Ball Park at
Arlington while the boys shopped for guitar stuff...very cool.
Gary and Brian sold a bunch of stuff at the show and Rod bought a nice
Fender Precision Bass at a nice price. It was also nice to have
Rod's son Brad along for the trip. Brad, a 16-year-old guitar
player himself, was treated to some life on the road with Oreo
Blue. We took him to the Guitar Center and Mars Music as well as
the Olive Garden in North Dallas for some herpes soup. Fun for
all.
October 12-13th--Tuesday USA--Little Rock, Arkansas--A
quaint little place on the corner of State and Markham. The food
in the restaurant is excellent. It is too bad we did not have
enough time to eat down there...we had work to do. Friday was a
rough road in to town. Gary was feeling sick and the construction
on I-40 is absurd to say the least. The show went as well as could
be expected as many Oreo Blue fans drove in from places like Pine Bluff,
Hot Springs and Benton just to see the show. We don't get to
Little Rock often enough, so you OB fans down in the central part of the
state go petition your favorite pub in the Rock. Saturday
afternoon was great. The Razorbacks beat #9 South Carolina in
Little Rock and at least Brian and I were ecstatic. I apologize to
Day and all those folks at Shorty Smalls for my boisterous Hog Fan
behavior. Apparently, Gary's sickness grew to illness and he was
unable to make the show on Saturday. Our good friend Jeff Curry
from Fayetteville was kind enough to make the drive all the way to LR to
fill in for Gary. Jeff did an admirable job and the band thanks
him for bailing us out on such short notice. You can catch Jeff
and his band at the bi-monthly blues jams at George's
Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, Arkansas and at the Honest Lawyer
in Rogers, Arkansas
Oreo Blue with Black Magic
at the KBBF Media Party
Photo By The
Bluesnet at stlblues.net.
October 5-6th--King
Biscuit Blues Festival--Helena, Arkansas--On Friday, Oreo Blue was
given a special invitation to perform for the International Media Party
at the KBBF. Upon arrival, Oreo Blue was treated with an
astonishing amount of hospitality beginning with (of course) the
food. KBBF artists were fed like kings with some wonderfully
prepared home-cooked meals. As we began preparations for the
load-in...the rain came again. Oreo Blue was moved inside where
the press was treated to an excellent performance by the band.
Sit-ins included Black Magic from Baltimore, MD, and Guitar Matt from
California. Comments included: "Your band is absolutely
wonderful...so professional and so energetic! Oreo Blue is the
buzz around here and you guys are making people talk."--from Media
& Public Relations Director Jerry Wenzel. Jerry was kind
enough to accommodate the band at a dormant, plantation-style home just
blocks away from the festival. Even though I brought my sleeping
bag, I think the boys will next year turn on the heaters before going to
bed...Thanks for the accommodations! It was otherwise wonderful.
On Saturday after the thaw,
the day was beautiful. The rains moved out and with our
astonishing success on Friday evening, the event coordinators moved us
from our open-mike stage locations on the perimeter of the festival to
about 50 yards from the main stage. In addition, they asked us to
set up early and play late! The strategy worked as Oreo Blue
worked the street crowd to a boil as on-lookers stopped on their way to
the main stage and stayed for both lengthy sets. With all due
respect to the wonderful talent on the main stage such as Robert
Lockwood, Jr, Levon Helm, Snooks Eaglin, and Jimmy Johnson (all blues
greats)...the folks that smiled and danced, cheered and screamed,
stared and boogied, were convinced that Oreo Blue was the best show in
town. We made many new friends and were even included in a
documentary being filmed by a French Camera Crew on the Legend of the
Crossroads and Robert Johnson. (Send us an e-mail, Pete and
Lawrence...we want copies!).
September 29th--Mary Beth
and Jesse's Wedding--Marianna, Arkansas--Congratulations to the
newlyweds...we had a wonderful time performing for you and your
party. Gary apologizes for playing the "most awful
rendition" of the Star Spangled Banner ever, but it just comes out
that way. He loves America because America gave him Fender
Guitars, Gibson Guitars, Jimi Hendrix, and the right to play the
National Anthem any way he pleases. We happen to think it's
cool. Besides...it is one of the rare moments in life when both
men and women drop their jaws, scream incessantly, tear up, and smile
ear-to-ear at the moment.
September 29th--Gibson
Guitar Factory--Memphis, Tennessee--Have you ever seen a 6-year-old
child walk into Toys-R-Us for the first time? It looks a lot like
Gary Hutchison walking into the Gibson Guitar Factory. Oreo Blue
was treated to a nice tour of the new facility. Our guide, Chuck
Porter, led us through the facility where Gibson's famous guitars are
made. I don't think our tour group noticed the custodian following
the drooling Gary with a mop bucket...I might have some pictures.
Click over to the photos page for pictures of our tour.
September 28th--Black
Diamond on Beale Street--Memphis, Tennessee--The band had not been
to Memphis in some time and it was nice to be back. The weather
was beautiful for a five-hour drive. Everything was hunky-dory up
until the keys were locked inside the trailer. It is readily
apparent that every locksmith in Memphis is either so wealthy that it
need not work, or so apathetic that it couldn't tell a keyhole from
an....well, anyway...after calling every one of them, we got no
response. However, the Memphis Fire Department was as heroic on
this day as they had proven throughout the last three weeks in New
York. Albeit our problem paled in comparison, the friendly
firefighters brought out the bolt cutters and got us to the show with
minutes to spare (and with that $75.00 we didn't have to spend). Thanks,
guys. The show went on without a hitch with the best ear in
Memphis, Dawn, running the sound board. If only there had been
anyone there to hear it...
September 22nd--George's
Majestic Lounge--Fayetteville, AR--The weather was beautiful...not
too cool, not too warm. Considering the events of the recent past,
the band expected to have a slow turnout. In contrast, it seems
the folks in Fayetteville and maybe around the country are beginning to
get back to "normalcy". The crowd was not a
record-breaker, but extremely excitable and fun-loving. We were
treated to a sit-in performance by our great friend, Darren Ray, from
Big Bad Bubba. Darren, known for his vocal prowess in the Southern
Rock vein can bring a crowd to a boil with renditions of Tush,
Alright Now, and Can't Get Enough of Your Love. You can
learn more about Darren and the boys at their web site www.bigbadbubba.net.
September 15th--Gary and
Nancy's 30th Anniversary Party--Goodman, Missouri--Gary and Nancy
have been fans of Oreo Blue for years and friends for even longer having
grown up with Gary Hutchison. Sometimes surprise parties get
foiled and the guests of honor are ho-hum about things. I thought
these folks had won the lottery when the stepped onto their back deck
and saw a stage with Oreo Blue on it. And man...what a view!
Uh...I am not talking about OB, but rather the 240 some-odd acres of
sprawling green valley behind the house. I admit I have never
taken a stage with such magnitude and splendor. I hope to have
some pictures up someday of that backdrop...what a great place.
I haven't raved about food in
a while. Should I? I know this is getting long, and I don't
usually carry on about private parties like this, but I am sure Gary and
Nancy won't mind. They had a whole hog, potato salad, cookies,
3-layer dip, smoked salmon, baked beans, cookies, chips, more cookies,
pasta salad, and...did I mention a whole hog? I mean a whole
hog! Don't tell anyone, but I filled my plate six times.
I think the plate was small...
Playing the show this evening
was a particular treat for Gary Hutchison as he was entertaining many
old school-mates and friends. One special moment during the
evening was his spine-chilling Hendrixian rendition of the Star Spangled
Banner. During this moment, the fifty plus folks rose to their
feet and cheered, and clapped, and cried, and laughed, and remained
standing for every note. I have seen this bit a dozen or more
times in my two and a half years with the band, but I had never seen
this reaction this way. Not even at the 4th of July shows...
September 14th--The Kitchen Pass--Joplin, Missouri--Shows
on the patio at the KP are often looked forward to in the early
fall. The weather was lovely, but as the entry below reflects,
there was apprehension on the drive up to Joplin. It was the first
time we as a band had gotten together since Tuesday and the conversation
was met with disbelief and sorrow. Sometimes you just have to put
on a CD and talk about kids or baseball or the weather. The show
was fine and the crowd was larger than expected and certainly
appreciative.
Special Insert--September 11th--Home--As all of you know, the
surreal events in New York City have put a hush over the world.
The unspeakable terrorist acts have affected all of our lives in some
way. No doubt, these events will continue to influence our sense
of content as free and secure Americans. As we hope the people of
the world could live and let live in harmony...we as musicians continue
to offer up the "universal language" of music to comfort and
console. We as fathers, brothers, sons, and Americans wish for a
peaceful resolve to bring justice to those who use terror to
speak. God Bless America!
September 8th--Razorback Tailgate Party--Washington
County Fairgrounds--Fayetteville, Arkansas--Let's put it this way, I
had a completely different vision of the "Nation's Largest Tailgate
Party." I guess it was the torrential rains...you know how
the trickle-down theory works.
I know this...if any one is reading this, be at the
fairgrounds next Saturday at 11:00 am and we will give you a show you
won't soon forget. Oreo Blue will fire you up for the Razorback
game versus UNT like you've never been fired up. Try us...you'll
like us.
September 7-8th--Maxine's
Tap Room--Fayetteville, Arkansas--Maxine is cool. I mean,
50 plus years in the same place serving generations of University of
Arkansas students and locals the coldest beer in town. She has
debunked the absolute that secondary smoke will kill humans. I am
convinced, therefore, that Maxine is not human, but rather some type of
guardian angel. An angel sent in the form of a bar matron giving
guidance to wandering young souls. Souls whose parents filtered
amongst her narrow walls in search of life's answers. The real
answers to life must not lie in the masterful words of the poets or the
timeless writings of the scholars. It must not lie in the hollowed
walls of the University itself. Rather, the real answers
can be found at the bottom of a frosted glass or on the dominoes score
sheet, in the ding-ding machines, or if you stare at the reflection of
Maxine in the mirror behind the bar. Try it sometime. Like
the haunted house ride at Disney World...when the ride ends the person
sitting next to you looks real when you look directly at them.
When you look in the mirror, the person next to you is...well...not
really of this world. So goes Maxine. I wonder about it
sometimes. Live long and prosper, Maxine.
Where's Maxine???
Oh, the show was fun Friday with a packed house of antsy
Razorback fans and answer seekers. Saturday was rain-soaked and
slower, but fun still yet.
