Weekend Of Rawk N Blues With Blues Rox and No Limits Band

It's been a very busy week for me, so I really didn't get down to write out the notes of both shows.  For the past few months Blues Rox has been working on getting a gig at the Wasserbaum Waterpark and Resort Center outside of Williamsburg. 

(Brian Bries photo credit-The Wasserbaum stage)

For days on end I have heard about how great this place was for music and fun.  Strange to find myself coming into this place from highway 151 and seeing them doing some sort of construction work around the place.   I got there way earlier before the rest of the guys did, so I got myself checked in and got my room and then try to find a place to eat.  Only place I could find was Pino's Sicilian Pizzeria, to which I got a medium pizza and forgot to pay the man.  Pizza was so so but I went back for a malt later on.  That was better.

If nothing else I didn't think much of the waterpark, it was geared for kids anyway and I forgot to bring swimming trunks but that would have been fun anyway.  Russ's motel room had no AC so he left, but mine worked fine. I slept in 62 degrees and a cool room and it was paid for by performing.

Blues Rox played fairly well, tho lack of a crowd bothered me once again.  They had a sound guy and for 15 minutes I was pounding on the snare and floor tom to have him get the readings.  He threw his hands up in the air when I changed over to Hot Rods for a song so I went back to regular sticks.   We threw in two ZZ Top songs (Tush, Sharp Dressed Man), I did an extended drum solo that wowed the band and the two people out in the crowd and perhaps an overindulgent Free Bird, complete with Kris playing the finale lead for about five minutes.  For an encore, it was Purple Rain, the first time Blues Rox ever played it and a medley of ROCK In the USA that lead into Cherry Cherry and What I Like About You.    I don't think we will be back there to play again, we didn't draw enough people to attend, but then again most of my so called facebook friends showed up as empty seats (they opted to wait a day and go see Last Call Band), but the owner paid us well and I got a free room for the night.  I think it worked out well for me. 

Julie and Dave played in my neck of the woods at Stone City and had a decent night.   Tuesday, they sat down with Mike McMenus at Artisan Sanctuary and put together a nice 13 song album of their favorite songs to play.  I think this shows that Julie is a fine singer.   But then she raked me over the coals about me playing the Cabin Jam two weeks from today.  They scored a gig with The Chrome Horse on that Saturday as well, but the Cabin Jam was on my gig list for the past half year.  I'll try to support her shows as much as I can, but the last couple gigs she's had, I have mine to do.

For No Limit Band, Kimberly has had this band going for over a year and can't keep a lineup down to do a gig.  She had friends that run the Koru Aronia Berry Farm, just outside of Homestead, which is about 8 miles from the Waterpark.  It is a very picturesque looking place with the highlight an animal farm to which Billy Goats laid on a trampoline.   And was in view of the stage.  When Kimberly needed some people to help her get this band going (she almost said the hell with it and disband), I told her that I would be happy to fill in.   We never did practice, the regular bass player Bill  hit his head in a fall and had to go the hospital overnight, but he never did show up, but David knew a guy Perry.  Stacia Riccio had played a few times with Kimberly, but she gotten Craig Erickson to come and sit in.  It was a make shift lineup, we barely knew the songs and the arrangements, but the weather wasn't looking too promising, but the skies cleared off and we played from 1 to 4.

Odd thing about this was that time flew by.  Sure, there were some missteps and Stacia might have some trouble remembering some of the riffs but she held her own and Craig got to do some of his fiery blues guitar leads he is famous for.  The surprise of the day was Layla, to which we did the Derek And Dominoes version and both of them really played it fine. 

The fact of the matter is that Kimberly has the vocals to make the songs rock out and she has fun playing on stage with everybody.  She does one of the more louder vocals, she's certainly not shy to belt them out.  She's a good singer, but in my profession I am here to help out on the drums or try to make sense of the songs played.    With her band No Limit, she does have collective bunch of folk that do lay it down and make her sound good in the process.  With the situation with Bill Stephenson up in the air, I have no idea what the future holds.  I did have fun helping her out when things looked as if it was going to be canceled.   Stacia did get Craig to help out.  Which is cool, jamming along side one of the best in the CR area.

(David and Perry)

Robby Haskill came out to support  He could have come up and played a couple songs.  I'd let him.

Patrick Lower helped out with expert sound. 

Perry was an exception bass player.  He helped me out when I couldn't figure out some of the songs played, but like myself, this was the first time we all got together.  Given the situation, I think we did pretty damn good.

Photos from the Homestead Gig are by David Kirzan and Kimberly. 

Technical bullshit:

For the gigs, I used  Zildjian cymbals.

Blues Rox

19' Arumnd Ride used as a ride

20' A  Sizzle/Crash as a Crash

18 K Dark Session Crash

16 S Trash Crash

For the No Limit gig

The Armund Ride was used as a crash

the Sizzle/Crash was used as a ride

14' K Dark Crash replaces the S Trash Crash

18' K Dark Session Crash.

14 inch A Quik Beat High Hats for both gigs. 

This lineup worked better for the No Limit gig.  Being outdoors these cymbals blended in with the guitars and bass.  It used to be that I was a bash and crasher but as time and age progressed onward, 

my style has changed to a more finesse style with a more lighter set of drumsticks used.  The Trash Crash is for more louder and harder rock and roll, but when used for Blues Rox, it sounded more in tune with a china sound.   future shows I may take the Oriental Crash Of Doom for Blues Rox.

The No Limit Band was a fill in at the last moment, Terry McDowell has been the go to drummer if and when they play but Terry had other commitments (Rumors)  and the lineup with Bonnie Harrison and Mike Williams didn't pan out.   But Kimberly and David had connections with Koru Berry Farm, plus I was available to do the gig.  If things fall into place, I would help out if Kimberly can't find anybody, just like this gig.  And having Craig Erickson on stage is a major big deal to me.  If Kimberly host a Checker's Jam, I may bring a snare on stage if asked.  But a full drum set will not be cost effective.  Unless I get to have a couple bucks thrown in for good measure.