Chaos in St. Charles pt.1
Today was the first rehearsal out in St. Charles, IL, for a Chaos Theory concert next Monday night. Woke up, packed my gear, and walked over to Nicki's house to get a ride to the rent-a-car place (avid readers of this blog are well aware that my car was totally totalled two weeks ago). Unfortunately, Nic had overslept, and trust me when I say that anything asked of her before her first cup of coffee is a total write-off...
Hey babe, no problem -- time for plan B. I'm out on the street to get a cab. Ten Minutes. No cabs. No problem, I call information to call a cab, and suddenly an empty cab rolls by!
No problem -- get to the rent-a-car place -- they're backed up out the door, and short on cars...
No problem -- eventually I get mine (unwashed -- believe me, NO PROBLEM), and I'm headed for the hour drive to St. Charles. The directions are good and I make it in no time. I meet a few guest artists from the Lincoln Center Jazz Ensemble -- very nice guys named Wes and Marcus. The director, Jim Kull, leads me out to the rehearsal space, explaining that some of the key band members aren't going to be at the rehearsal today. Well, that's not ideal, but... no problem! Everybody leaves, and I'm alone to set up and warm up.
Plug in the amp, plug in my -
My blood runs cold.
I've left my power cable for the pedalboard at home. I now have a very quiet, very decorative plaque on the floor in front of me, rather than the hi-tech-sonic-mutation-station I'd planned on. I've got 15 minutes before rehearsal starts.
Ummm... no problem...
Run out to the rental car, and fly down the road, looking for the nearest convenience store, or drug store, or...
GROCERY STORE!!!
Buy two handfuls of 9 volt batteries, pay with my credit card, no problem. Fly back to the rehearsal space, and start tearing open pedals and shoving batteries inside. The students are starting to file in. No problem.
They're warming up. I'm tuning up. My tuner is being moody... no problem...
The band is ready. I haven't warmed up yet today, but... NO PROBLEM!
Rehearsal in St. Charles. Photo courtesy of Community Unit School District 303
Hey babe, no problem -- time for plan B. I'm out on the street to get a cab. Ten Minutes. No cabs. No problem, I call information to call a cab, and suddenly an empty cab rolls by!
No problem -- get to the rent-a-car place -- they're backed up out the door, and short on cars...
No problem -- eventually I get mine (unwashed -- believe me, NO PROBLEM), and I'm headed for the hour drive to St. Charles. The directions are good and I make it in no time. I meet a few guest artists from the Lincoln Center Jazz Ensemble -- very nice guys named Wes and Marcus. The director, Jim Kull, leads me out to the rehearsal space, explaining that some of the key band members aren't going to be at the rehearsal today. Well, that's not ideal, but... no problem! Everybody leaves, and I'm alone to set up and warm up.
Plug in the amp, plug in my -
My blood runs cold.
I've left my power cable for the pedalboard at home. I now have a very quiet, very decorative plaque on the floor in front of me, rather than the hi-tech-sonic-mutation-station I'd planned on. I've got 15 minutes before rehearsal starts.
Ummm... no problem...
Run out to the rental car, and fly down the road, looking for the nearest convenience store, or drug store, or...
GROCERY STORE!!!
Buy two handfuls of 9 volt batteries, pay with my credit card, no problem. Fly back to the rehearsal space, and start tearing open pedals and shoving batteries inside. The students are starting to file in. No problem.
They're warming up. I'm tuning up. My tuner is being moody... no problem...
The band is ready. I haven't warmed up yet today, but... NO PROBLEM!
Rehearsal in St. Charles. Photo courtesy of Community Unit School District 303
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