IN THE GROOVE

It would be late in the evening, maybe a couple, three songs left to do. The dance floor would be packed and if the stage was slightly elevated I could look across a sea of heads bobbing up and down and twirling round’
Everyone would be all liquored up by then and trying to lock down a date if they didn’t have one already. Soon the party would be over. I’d feel a little disappointed, I’d be ‘zonin’. My fingers would be on autopilot, gliding over the fret board, in sync with my voice and the message of the song, sort of wired to my soul. A perfect union of entertainer and audience. I must tell ya people, it was like dope. For me, it was what it was all about.

These are the memories I have of the last working band I was in. “In the Groove” was the name of our group and having been together for of about 9 years we were “tight” and experienced. Our song list numbered close to a thousand, which worked well on request night. No matter what room we were playing, the three types of music that always worked well were the Blues, Country music and Cover tunes. Let me try to explain what I mean by “worked well”

The word 'blue' has been associated with the idea of melancholia. The term “The Blues” was coined by Washington Irving in the early 1800’s and if you stop and think, everybody’s had the blues at one time or another, I know I have.

The Blues worked well in regular bars and especially if we were doing an “open mike” type of gig because playing the blues required no real musical training. If a person could play a few minor seventh chords on a guitar or piano, follow a simple 1, 4, 5 progression and sing a sad song, they could play the blues. So, on open-mike nights the blues players came out of the woodwork. We would just ask them what song or what key and off we’d go. Of course, more experienced players get quite a bit more complicated with structure and delivery. A must, when doing some of the great standards like, Stormy Monday or Blue for You. All was easy and a lot of fun to play, but a little one track after awhile for my tastes, the club owners were not concerned with my tastes, only interested in packing the place and selling all the liquor they could.

Now Country Music was very different. The whole mind set is usually upbeat and happier. Almost always, verses and verses of lyrics, chord structures are more complicated and plenty of vocals and harmonies. When we had everyone in the band on the same page and “In the Groove” we could really nail’m down. I got great satisfaction in these moments. As I said before, “It was like dope” learning a new country song always took a lot of rehearsal but paid off in spades. As in playing the blues, one weekend playing at a Country bar became a little one track and was enough to hold me for a few weeks. Anyway, I do not care much of cowboy boots or hats.

Now covers or current top 100 songs were the bread and butter of most steadily working bands. They are what drew the crowds and that meant more people drinking, which translated to more dollars for the owners, making them very very happy. If your band could deliver well, the dance floor would be full all night, usually leading to further bookings and “Mo Money” for us. The last couple of years I was with In the Groove we had four clubs that we played 1 weekend a month, we were one of the regulars. If we did a wedding or banquet on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon we could make upwards of $1500 a man for that week. That was more money than I made in my regular job and I was pulling down close to 40k there! The one bad thing about covers is that they were always changing, so it took up a lot of rehearsal time, but again, paid off in spades.

Well there you have it, the musician’s eye view of a working band. I must warn you it is not at all as glamorous as it sounds. It takes years of practice on instrument and vocals, hours of rehearsal to keep current and a lot of time and energy along with late hours and travel. Don’t forget staying booked, broken equipment, sick band members and a lot time away from home. It’s not just something that you do; it’s a way of life. I can say one thing for sure. I miss it!