Wednesday, July 04, 2007

WHEN "BAND" BECOMES "DISBAND"...


Our band is playing what will probably be its LAST JOB next Monday.

For the 4th of July, we will play at the community stadium from 7-10 p.m., and it looks like I will be SINGING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM after our show and before the local fireworks show starts. That has me much more nervous than playing rock and roll music in front of the crowd.

Then, we will end our band's life in a horrifically anticlimactic and mundane way by playing at a local chiropractor's birthday party for a couple of hours on Monday the 9th. That sounds like something that would happen in a shitcom or a humorous short story, eh! If you're laughing out loud, I don't blame you. I'm sure it will be fun, but it doesn't really seem like we will be "going out with a bang"...

After the Chiropractor's Birthday Gig, both our guitarists are leaving. Mark is moving to Austin, TX to go to a recording school, and Steve is pretty much just hanging it up, or "retiring". I don't know how anxious I will be for Joel the drummer and Mike the bassist and me to try and replace both guitarists right away, if at all. I view the hiatus from practicing, with goals in mind, as a chance to concentrate more on some home recording. Continuing to play music with the drummer and bass player might give me a chance to get off of the keyboard at times, and to get out the guitar and try some bad-sounding primitive stuff in a trio format, and that might be fun... although me on guitar wouldn't be something we would do with a view toward taking it out in public... hehehehe..

Anyway, I really want to take some time to sit down with my 8-track digital recorder and, well... play with myself. Heh. If I end up playing in another local group, or if the remaining three of us keep things going and recruit a new band member or two, I'll keep you posted. And once I get some of my own songs done here at home, I'll see about getting them posted on this blog for you to hear.

All good things come to an end, including Standard Deviation as a band. We now finish things up on good terms, and it's very likely we will all continue to hang out together and that we'll stay in touch with Mark once he has moved. The friendship and camaraderie have always been the most important thing about our band. That is what made it an ideal situation, really, no matter how good or bad we sounded at times. For me, it's all about playing music with friends, nothing more. Once it becomes more than that, it becomes a job, and thankfully, being in this band never felt like a job.

Now it's time to look for other activities that don't feel like jobs, and hopefully I'll find some that involve music!

13 Comments:

Blogger Mandelbrot's Chaos said...

Sorry to hear that, Snave, but at least you're keeping a positive attitude about it.

4:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds like you guys have had a lot of fun, John. And what I've heard from you sounded excellent to me!

And yes, OK, I did laugh out loud about the site/occasion for your "Last Waltz"...

9:27 AM  
Blogger Jim Marquis said...

That's too bad, but I guess all things must come to an end.

Hey, maybe you and the drummer and the bassist should dye your hair blonde and become a Police cover band. You can call yourselves The Synchronicities!

11:19 AM  
Blogger Snave said...

Thanks, MC! It's hard to put a negative spin on the ending of the group, because there isn't any rancor involved, and it's all been a lot of fun.

Good idea, J. I think if we were a Police cover band, "Stung" would be more like it.

David, as for the "Last Waltz" reference, at least I won't have a Neil Young cocaine booger hanging out of my nose. It will more likely be a chunk of some kind of health food. I think I might call this "The Last Shuffle".

11:26 AM  
Blogger Larry said...

Maybe this will move you into a greater phase involving music, that you would not have considered otherwise.

12:02 PM  
Blogger Lizzy said...

I'm sorry to hear that, Snave. I really enjoyed your music, but like Jim said, all good things must come to an end.

9:33 PM  
Blogger Sheryl said...

It's good to hear you are going to continue to record and explore your musical possibilities and that you guys are ending things on positive terms. Sorry the band is ending though. You were very lucky to have the opportunity to do that.

11:49 PM  
Blogger Elvez73 said...

Sorry to hear that, but as long as you keep playing, that's the most important thing. I had to chuckle at you Last Waltz reference to Neil, I always wondered why Scorsesee didn't fix that humongous rock in Neils nose!

3:48 PM  
Blogger 1138 said...

The best ending ever, nobody died, and nobody went away mad.

7:01 PM  
Blogger LET'S TALK said...

It must takes some nerves to sing the National Anthem, what a very hard song to sing by yourself.

Sorry to hear about both your guitarists, maybe you'll find someone to take their place and just maybe they might return.

Have a great weekend snave and be safe.

6:14 AM  
Blogger Woody Tobias, Jr. said...

'skuze me. you have been TAGGED and we hope you come visit but post here.

12:33 PM  
Blogger PTCruiser said...

I like the Police cover band idea.

12:35 PM  
Blogger 1138 said...

There's always skittle.

1:56 PM  

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