Ralph said something one time, if I can paraphrase, you don't write in the paper about Jams until they've been around for a year. Well, come midnight, the Side Door Sessions will have been around for a year. We did make it into the paper this week, and attracted the attention of the fire marshall--hopefully we'll attract some musicians in the future.
Thanks to everybody who's played. The people who play there like to play there because the audience is there. Like some people who like baseball and hockey only tune in to the playoffs, when the games "matter," we like to play for an audience because that means we have to do our best. (That doesn't mean we'll be good, but we'll do our best!)
It's been great to get virtuoso players like Scott Fore, Brian Muller, and Mike Mitchell on our stage, and it's been as good as I hoped to get really nice performances from our local pals, but what's been best for me has been the new faces.
The Steele family came out of the woodwork. Asenath Cales put a band together for the Side Door. Kendall Weddle assumed the role of real-deal bluegrass singer. Jim Kern brought his songs, and introduced us to guitarist Jeff Wynn. Joe Abercrombie introduced us to Dave Diesel and Doug Conner. Doug Conner introduced us to his brother Paul. Through Scott Patrick we got Abe Goorskey and the aforementioned Mike Mitchell, as well as Hillbilly Jason and Todd who have emerged to do excellent sound for us. And just last night, Sandra Lyerly made her debut with a set of excellent songs beautifully performed. Who will be next? We'll find out.
I guess the other pleasant surprise (that shouldn't have been surprising) has been the after-session jamming. We've had jams after every show, where all the musicians who stuck around from playing their sets, and the musicians who make up a big chunk of the regular audience, crack open their cases and play even more. I tend to be puttering around cleaning up during these jams (ahem, thanks for all the help cleaning up guys...) and they never fail to wow me. While I'm wrapping cables, or putting up the coffee pot, I'll just listen to music every bit as good or better than what we put up on the stage. Thanks again for making the jams, dudes! For those who love to pick, I salute you.
State of the Sessions:
Everyone's got their 2 cents on what's good for Radford, and I've got mine, too. I'd like to see main street teeming with coffee shops instead of tattoo parlors, and I'd like to see some place that likes to host rock bands, and more cheap food. I'd like a few more pizza places. Who knows, if I get a couple extra bucks, maybe I'll get a chance to make one of those things happen, but till then, I'm fairly full of optimism about being able to gather like-minded people and do something nice in the community. Our community is the folk-bluegrass musician/music lover community.
I don't know how many people have attended, but I put our average at about 40 per session. That's something like 320 people who sat and had a good time up at the Side Door. It's not world peace, or a cure for cancer, or a solution to global warming, but we get to be a part of something that doesn't happen unless we do it. I think we made about $100 over the course of the whole series of shows, but we never did it for the money*.
Looking ahead, it's more of the same, only better as we learn from our mistakes. I'm open to ideas about what people would like to see.
Next Side Door is November 15th, and it will feature one of our strongest, most ambitious lineups yet.
Wayne Frye will team up with Scott Fore for a special set.
The Steele Family will be back.
Acoustic Roots from Blacksburg will bring their string duo to town.
So as we close out the first year with this random rambling, and kick off year #2 of the Sessions, I thank the multitudes who've put there efforts, support, and practice time to this enterprise. I really appreciate it because I really enjoy the music and the friendships, and it ain't no party if nobody comes.
The Side Door Sessions - Be there, people! We always have a good time.
*The Java Brothers Bluegrass Band is very available for paying bluegrass gigs.
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5 comments:
I think I was misquoted. Either that, or I'm really stupid-sounding. Maybe both.
Chris, the SDS are great. No, they won't bring more businesses downtown or chase away the tattoo parlors -- Radford's recent track record of supporting local biz isn't that great -- but they do what they're supposed to do. They're fun and bring a certain brand of entertainment to town that we otherwise wouldn't have.
You started with a realistic goal -- small and steady. That's helped them succeed. (On a sad note, look at what has already happened to The Lantern: http://blogs.roanoke.com/cutnscratch/2008/10/new_blacksburg_venue_the_lantern_says_its_going_un.html)
In other words, good job and keep it up! I'll help clean up next time -- of course, then I can't jam ...
We really do owe you a great deal of thanks, Chris. The setting has been great and we have heard some wonderful music. I have had a blast at all of them! A lot of folks have shown some different dimensions to their musical abilities. It has been fun to see.
It has given a "voice" to some folks who may have not had one otherwise. Sandra was a great example Sat. night. She doesn't normally take the lead at the Mill and people got to hear something new and really good from her. You need to get people like that to keep coming, and the ones that have been there need to come back!
Here's to year two!!
Dangit! We're to play there on Nov 2nd!
And they have good cheap food--that alone should keep it going.
Everything sucks.
I was saying it sucks that the Lantern is struggling, by the way. The Side Door is in good shape and I'm happy about it.
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