The History of the Six Shooter Band

In this first episode you heard the rules and framework that is going to be used to create a band. You'll hear how John, Kevin and Dave start to put together a band. Would Dave join a COUNTRY band after playing metal and blues?

The boys are tried of drumming to the Magic Drummer Cassette tape. They interview Terry and Dale and finally come to a decision on a drummer. He has lots of experience and is offered the job on the spot.The band kicks around some names for the band.Terry isn't a good fit, but will Dale join the band?

This podcast is best consumed from the first episode through the latest.Dales joins the band. There is talk of moving practice to Dale's house. Things are a little rough.Four days after the last practice Dave gets a call from John. Is it good news or bad news?Who is Kevin and is he any good?

This show is best consumed from episode 1 to the latest episode.Bob has an OK drumset, a pretty good meter, and seems like he will be a good fit.Let's the same 8 songs over and over and over and over.Bob drops a few bombs at practice.We not only need a drummer, we need a drumset.

The band has a fun practice, and is joined by two wives who want to share their opinions.It's the last time in John's basement, and they decide to record the practice.They are thinking of adding a female keyboardist.

The band moves to Kevin's basement. Kevin gets a squire guitar for Kevin. Jessie's wife decides she's going to book the band? Dave gets a new louder amplider.

John and Dave start reaching out to the local circuit. The band flips a coin and chooses a band name. The adventure is interesting as they visit different bars. The band decides to take a charity gig as a test.bq8yicgw

What was supposed to be a charity event, turns out to be a biker rally.

December 12 Jesse Gets A New JobAt the end of a not so productive (boo-koo rock-n-roll tunes to due to some spectators) practice, Jesse announces that he has a new job at Western Auto. This is good as his second child should be born in a few months. He will be making more money. Unfortunately, he will also be working nights. He addressed this very lightly, but the band seemed to become very anxious about this latest turn of events. How can you play out at night, and work at the auto store? The other thing bothering some of the band was Jesse’s attitude about the songs. It appears that he hates playing anything that is slower than a heart attack. Dave and Kevin elect John to find out the scoop and make sure Jesse is in for the long haul. Some announcements were made: Kevin announces that he has decided to take a break from his current girlfriend (Kim), and Jesse announces the Kickin’ Country is booking for July. We need to work on a demo tape as soon as this gig is behind us.December 15 Kevin books a PAYING GigKevin gets our first paying job by singing “Anymore” completely by himself in a bar to a bar owner. It’s at the Louisville VFW It’s in a week (Friday 12/22/95). We are not ready, but decide to do it anyway (it’s only the Louisville VFW). We should get paid around 200-250. The band must squeeze in a Saturday practice. We also decide to throw in a few Christmas tunes to fill in the time.After talking with Jesse, John concludes that Jesse is fine. Everything will work out fine. This practice marks the first successful attempt of John singing backup on the song “Good-Bye Says It All.” The band actually produces three-part harmony for the first time (successfully).December 19 - The BlizzardIn Ohio parts of the state receive 14 inches of snow. It snows and rains ice all day. This also happens to be the only day all band members could get together to practice before the VFW gig. Bummer. Practice is canceled due to the weather. John, Dave, and Kevin will try to hook up later in the month. Many of the roadways are averaging around 15-20 mph. It’s very bad. By the mid-evening, it is illegal to drive in Medina unless it is an emergency.December 22 -The Louisville V.F.W.Well, John, Kevin, and Dave tried to practice the day before the gig, but it wasn’t very productive. The band is kind of pushed for time to be ready to play by 8:00. Bernie the owner lets us know we can start at 8:30. It’s still snowing, but the roads are clear. The band is greeted by a Christmas decoration on the door that plays (and sings) “We wish you a Merry Christmas”. It’s cute. Also on the door is a sign that reads:December 228-12Six ShootersOur first gig, and already the band’s name has been hacked.The band sets a record-setting up their stuff. The bar is small, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. Many trips are made to unload two pick-up trucks and a car full of equipment. The patrons get nervous as the group drags in two eight foot tall stacks of P.A. speakers. Each time hearing the door decoration sing “We wish you a Merry Christmas.” It’s getting a little annoying. The group is warned to keep the volume low.After setting things up, the band opens the set without an official sound check. Dave starts the set with “The star spangled banner” that leads into God Bless Texas. Due to the size and layout of the bar, it takes the majority of the first set to get the sound right. The set included Dave going into the audience to play an extended solo. This seemed to thrill the crowd as they probably had not seen a wireless system before. The set ended with some not very planned improvisation of “Born to Boogie” where Dave explained how all of us were born (Kevin began singing, Jesse was pounding in his mother to get out, John’s fingers were going, and Dave was born with

December 30, 1995 -HO HO NO! (YOKO’S COMING!)The band battles sickness (John has Walking Pneumonia). After sitting on their frustrations for a week, John and Kevin announce to Dave their frustration with Jesse. His speeding up of songs, his lack of initiative to learn the songs as they are on the record, his purposeful neglect of the recorded version, and his negative attitude are really pissing John and Kevin off. A new problem is looming on the horizon. Yoko received a keyboard for Christmas. SHE IS ALREADY LEARNING OUR MATERIAL. Hello?!?!?! I don’t remember an audition? I don’t remember anyone asking for an audition?For Yoko to be in the band she would have to meet the same criteria. She would have to have musical talent, the same taste in music, the same vision as the bands, and a GOOD ATTITUDE. With this in mind, it is feasible to say it is impossible for Yoko to be in the band. This is without asking the obvious question: “Who watches the kidS in about two months. What a nightmare. The band has taken two weeks off for the holidays.Dave was originally not for firing Jesse, but this new development poses a new threat. Getting a new drummerwould also open the door for possibly hiring a keyboardist which Dave still feels we need. After reaching new heights with the first gig, the band is set to derail in 1996.January 3rd, 1996 Talking to MichaelWith the band not certain about Jesse’s future, Dave talks to Michael Gorfido about the possibility of joining the band in the event that an opening should appear. Michael seems pretty interested. The fact that the band owns a drum set seems very attractive. Dave gives the general sales pitch (Sounding like the record, having fun, while being serious, etc.). Oddly enough it seems the gossip lines have been lighting up about the band. Michael already knew the band owns a drum set. Another coincidence is that Beth Daugherty (Keyboardist/Singer/Steel Player) stops into to talk to Kevin to see how things are going with the band. Dave and Kevin talk on the phone and decide the gossip line at GEI is fiber optic.January 6th Scouting PatrolJohn, Kevin, and Dave go out to see some of the local talent. They go into the now famous “Kicking Country.” There were no bands, but the owner “Shorty” has heard of the band “Six Shooter,” He would like a tape. Dave attempts to shit one on the spot but fails.The band ventures into the “Red Dog Saloon” and sees the band “Naked Spur.” They are a six-piece band that is very good. The band's set leaves Dave wanting a keyboardist so bad his nuts hurt. Someday we will sound this good. If you were to take away the 2 members they have, it would be a much more even battle.The band stumbles into the “Silver Dollar.” A bar where the bar owner has the house band. This is done in an effort to hear a band that sucks. It’s true; we could blow these guys away. Their guitarist is very good, and Dave realizes he needs to work some more on picking up some pure country licks.The band goes to breakfast and realizes that they really need to make some type of demo tape. They ponder the thought of using “Conjunction Junction (what’s your function?)” as a sound check. By using Dave’s 8-track deck, the band could substitute a different drummer if needed by rerecording the drum tracks only. Upon leaving the restaurant, the band finds themselves in a blizzard. Poor Dave doesn’t get home until 5:00 a.m.Jan 9th Time to Move onJesse again misses practice. Consequently, the band takes some time to ponder the decision of booting him out of the band. The decision is made to pursue another drummer and severe our ties to Jesse. The band will also pursue Beth the keyboard player (that was put on hold partially by Yoko). It is a hard decision, but in the long run, it will be for the best. On a...

Jan 15: Kevin Lowers the BoomDave’s pager goes off at 1:40 p.m. He gets into voice mail to hear that Kevin has finally been able to reach Jesse and let him go (He was at the hospital for a false alarm baby delivery the night before). Kevin tells Jesse that the band has come to an agreement together and that they feel he is moving in a different direction than the rest of the band. He does not share the vision, and that the band is looking for a new drummer. Jesse’s first reply is, “Good.” When Kevin explains how he didn’t expect that response, Jesse asks why he is let go. Kevin explains how it’s not due to a lack of talent, but just a difference of opinion in how the band should sound. Jesse responds with, “Whatever, do what you want.” Kevin tries to keep the bridge from burning and to stop from causing hard feelings. At this point, Jesse simply wants off the phone and cuts the conversation short. The conversation and Jesse’s 18-week career ends. We are without a drummer-again.I think its safe to say that the band has mixed emotions. The uncertainty of not having a drummer (Michael Gorfido is growing colder as a lead), the loss of our friend Jesse, and the task of rebuilding can appear large. The other side of the coin is that Beth is coming over with her fiancé tomorrow to practice. This could be interesting as the now-trio has not played together for quite some time now. We could appear very awful.Jan 16-Beth and Dan Audition with a Surprise GuestBeth and her fiancé Dan show up to audition. Kevin is slightly late due to being in the field with a technician. Dave gets to talk with the duo. Beth admits she is very nervous. Dave is also nervous (after all they’re auditioning us as much as we are them). The night is filled with tunes from every type of music. Kiss, Linda Ronstadt, The Knack, Eric Clapton, Ozzy, Bluegrass, Lynard Skynard, Funk, and Iron Butterfly. The last one had Dan launch into an impromptu drum solo. It was impressive, and his meter was tight. His meter varied a little during the night, but not enough to really alarm anyone (after all he’s never attempted the songs on a set). It takes John and a voltmeter to get Beth’s keyboard operational. While Beth’s confidence in her playing was a little low, by the end of the night she seemed to lighten up enough, and start playing some nice filler piano parts. She was able to harmonize very nicely. The band even pulled off some nice three-part harmony on Linda Ronstadt’s “When will I be loved.” The music portion of the evening seemed to do exactly what it was supposed to do: provide a chance to show off enough to impress everyone. Dan asks the question, “Hey are we gonna do this again?” Everyone agrees it was a lot of fun.During the practice, we had a surprise visit from none other than JESSE GIBBENS. Beth (not knowing this was the ex-drummer) gives him a friendly wave. John quits playing and escorts Jesse upstairs. Kevin follows shortly thereafter. John re-explains how Jesse doesn’t share the vision of the band. Dave eventually joins the trio upstairs. By this time John is somehow throwing in a new excuse that Jesse has “too much going on.” Jesse is almost in tears. It's a very bad situation. A situation that was hard, has become unbearable. Dave wants to cut the bull and explain that time and time again he played songs the way we had stated we did not want them played. On the other hand, he wants this whole situation to be over. He’s having a hard time seeing Jesse hurt. He decides to say nothing (and regrets this later). Jesse wants his sticks back. Jesse explains how he has his schedule in place, he admits HE DOESN’T LIKE COUNTRY MUSIC but is having fun playing it. His last words were, “Whatever, have a nice practice.” I think he was pretty blown away to show up (probably expecting us to be playing along with the magic drummer) and find a drummer and keyboard player....

Jan 17: John’s Opinion Regarding Beth and DanJohn remains level-headed, while Dave and Kevin are ready to jump in head first. John did have a good time. However, John also points out the true test will be next Tuesday when the duo has had a chance to learn some of the material. The band agrees.Jan 20 Dave Does Preliminary Work On The Demo Tape.Dave uses the “magic drummer” to match the tempo of, Pickup Man, Anymore, and Fast as You. These “click tracks” will later have each person's part added to them. Eventually, the drum part will be erased by whoever is playing drums.Jan 25: Beth has an Anxiety attackConvinced that she has to know every one of the first five songs note for note, Beth is close to having a heart attack. She announces at the beginning of the practice that she didn’t have much time practice, and not to expect too much. After playing one song she announces that “She’s not ready for this, and she thinks she’s over her head.”Somewhere in there she almost quit. Somewhere in there, she ended up in limbo. Dan did not have the tape during the week, so he did not improve much. John was sure to point out any variance in the meter. The practice was taped. It sounds horrible due to the tape deck it is recorded on. Listening to the tape there were some meter problems, but we should wait till Dan has a chance to actually learn the tunes.Dave premiere’s a new effects set up. It’s all his effects in one box. Dave spends much of the practice trying to tweak his tone. He needs to sell his old effects to justify buying this new set up.The band will continue on trying to learn a few tunes a week. This practice was missing a tape to reference to (which will be remedied next week). We need to make the practices very productive. I’m not sure anyone is sure exactly what Beth’s status is, there is quite an amount of things that are “up in the air.”Jan 30: Dan Improves while Beth?????The group meets again. They go through the usual set. Dan’s meter has improved drastically. It’s obvious he has had a chance to listen to the songs. He even picks up the intro. to Mercury Blues very quickly. As obvious as it is that Dan is into it, Beth seems bored. This is not such a negative thing, it is just that she has a LOT of things going on with the wedding coming up. She again announces that she is not “committed” to the project. She also states that if we want to bring in another keyboardist she would not be offended. The band leaves it at that. The plan is to see if her decision changes Dan’s position, and hopefully get his full commitment next week. It was a very positive practice even though we did do a lot of “screwing around” with tunes. The practice was actually over by 9:00.February 5th: And then There Were Three-AgainBeth calls Kevin and lets him know she needs to talk to him, “Before the next practice.” This added with last weeks comment of, “We need to talk a few things over,” leads Dave to think that they were both leaving the group. Later that day when Dave sat down to talk to Beth, she informed him that he was right. Between getting married, working long hours, and an hour drive home after practice leads to Beth and Dan deciding to bow out of the project. Beth apologized, and then she apologized again. When she was finished with that, she apologized. Dave explained that there were no hard feelings-honesty is always appreciated. She did say that Dan was disappointed since her bluegrass music was not as challenging as our style of country. At any rate, there was no use crying over spilled milk, and it was time to come up with a plan.February 6th: Coming up with a PlanThe band puts down there instruments for a practice and focuses on how we are going to select our next drummer. After hours of...

Feb 16: The Guy We’ve Been Looking ForOur first drummer to contact us from the add is 45 years old, has experience, a drum set, and according to his own testimony is, “the guy we’ve been looking for.” He sounds very impressive. John is optimistic from the phone call. Kevin calls and informs Dave that there is hope.Feb 20: Enter LeeWell, Lee shows up with his wife. We’re all excited about playing, however, Kevin is really tired as he only got two hours sleep. Dave is feeling kind of dull. Lee shows up and really steps in. He’s been playing country for years. His last few bands always seem to disintegrate after 9-12 months. He’s really looking for some dedicated people for the long haul. He’s got really quick wrists and can really tap on the snare (this is more of a country style drumming than mammoth rolls on the toms). The songs he knew (and he knew quite a few) he played very well. His only possible downer is that he works midnight hours. When asked if there was a conflict he simply stated: “fuck work.” If it was up to Lee he’d play music for a living. John says he’s the easiest to play along with out of all we’ve been playing with lately. The band hands him a tape and asks him to learn the first five songs.Due to the past month’s letdowns, Dave feels bad that he’s not more optimistic about Lee’s performance. Dave is waiting “for the other shoe to drop.” It’s a strange kind of prejudice, and Dave agrees he needs to get ready for (what appears to be) a bright future. Dave can’t help thinking, “Bob gave us a good first impression too.”Feb. 28: Lee Delivers the GoodsWell, another “moment of truth.” Lee came in and disappointed no one. He actually said he would practice, and -gasp- HE DID. He nailed Third rock from the sun. Every break and stop of that song was “right on the nuts.” He nailed every song he was supposed to learn, as well as many songs he was not slated to know. Consequently, the band now has to get their act together as we are close to knowing 30 songs already (with a little polishing), Many of the songs were ready to be heard. The band is on equal terms now. Lee being new, and the rest of us “fuzzy” on many of the tunes after not playing them for so long. It’s time to step it up. This is cool.March 5: Lee’s 2nd PracticeLees goes with some new songs with the band. He’s not as prepared as last week (he actually did 3rd rock better the first week). However, he is still learning quickly. The band decides to wait until next week to give him the official “go” sign.May 1: Dave Gets PromotedAt work, Dave is promoted to “Corporate Coordinator of Training.” He will be developing “Graphic University.” Dave is a little worried as this may require “Some travel.” This would suck if it takes him away from gigs. Dave would have to quit. At this point, it’s a wait and see situation.May 21: The Final Set is Put TogetherOver the past couple of weeks, the band has designed and been practicing three sets of songs. This week marks the practice of the last set (set 3). At this point, the band knows what songs still need polishing, but are one small step away from being ready to play out. They decide to record the demo tape that Dave did the preliminary work on January 20 this Saturday at 9:00 am.May 25: Six Shooter Turns the Basement into a StudioWhile tearing down his equipment at his apartment Dave accidentally damages the head phone jack of his 8-track cassette recorder. Upon arriving at Kevin’s at 9:00 am, Dave puts John to work to repairing it. The repair is done around 10 and the band gets to work. The original intent is to record the basic rhythm parts. Kevin is going through some tough times with his voice.The band uses a...

July 12: PIMPING THE BANDAfter waiting for John to show up, the band runs off a few copies of the new demo tape, pack into Kevin’s Volkswagen Rabbit and head off to promote the band. They stop at the Red Dog Saloon. We drop off a tape and a bio sheet. The owner says that business is bad. She will need a week to listen to the tape. She’s looking for a band that can pack the place. It was a quick call, and the boys are off to another sight.We decided to stop into a bar called the “Tangled Spur” that Dave heard about from Karen the GEI receptionist. We talk to Mary who is the bartender/owner’s wife. For an older woman, she’s not bad looking. We get a few beers and settle in as Kevin ventures up to sing a Kareeokee tune. He was impressive. We find that the bar has a house band that is currently Bass playerless. This is a darn shame. We offer to fill in while they find a new bass player (cause we’re nice guys). Mary can’t make that decision. We decide to wait for Glen. Unfortunately, the band is subjected to “Mike J the DJ.” Who can’t sing, or run sound. Yes, it’s safe to say that he sucked. A guy named Vince ventures up to sing a song. He’s not bad but hits a few clinkers. Kevin ventures up and sings “Doomis Walker,” After some ribbing from John, Dave ventures up on stage and joins Kevin. Glenn still had not arrived, so Kevin an Lee decide to go to “Toots Pub” and drop off a tape. Meanwhile, Dave and John are tortured with another song by Mike the DJ and another fine tune from Vince.During one of Mike the DJ’s screw-ups (his microphone exploded), John and Dave figure out that one of the members of the house band “Canyon Breeze” is in the bar. Kevin and Lee return and report they did get their foot in the door, as well as possibly find a source for more bars to investigate. The band explains how they could pack the bar with people from work to Mary. Kevin sings another tune, now Mike the DJ has the sound so messed up that Kevin can’t hear himself and hits a few sour notes. John can't believe the level of “SUCK” that Mike possesses. When Glen finally arrives 90 minutes later, the band pitches the idea of taking over “temporarily” for the house band. Glenn is definitely frustrated with his current house band “Canyon Breeze.” Kevin ventures up to sing the Hank Williams Jr. tune “A Country Boy Can Survive.” Mike the DJ has the sound so muddy you can barely understand what Kevin is saying, however he is back on tune. Glen’s head turns towards Kevin as Kevin starts the song and starts to show off his voice. John and Dave smile. As the song continues, Kevin shines brighter and brighter (in spite of Mike the DJ). At the climax of the song Kevin (in true Travis Tritt form) absolutely NAILS THE ENDING! The people in the bar start applauding before he is even finished!. Dave and John are sporting wood, and so is Glenn. The band leaves the bar, and have provided Glenn with something to think about. The band ponders the thought of being the house band for the local bar. This would be very convenient. The bar is small, but nice.The foursome continues on to “Little Rock.” This is a bar that is right down the street from Kevin’s house. The name of the bar is actually “Cappy’s.” This bar is huge compared to the previous bar. It’s very nice. Dave is sporting a woody. The foursome descend upon Chuck the new owner. Chuck has just bought out his brothers, and is putting a lot of money into the bar. He is holding a “Battle of the bands” in September. He is a little frustrated with his DJ. He has an opening the first Week of August. He says he will listen to our tape. Kevin will return to try and close the deal Wednesday. We also get our foot in the door for becoming the “House Band” as Chuck will be looking for one after the battle of the bands is over. Chuck is very impressed that we could be our own DJ during the time when the band would take a break between sets. The “Battle of the Bands” contest will be

July 13: Dave is Beyond ExcitedDave sets up a system to listen to 3 radio stations at the same time. He is trying to catch songs that the band can add to their setlist(which is aging). Dave gets hosed as he calls in a request to a radio station. His voice gets played over the airwaves (but not his request). He ventures to Lentine’s music to buy a microphone stand so John can sing backups. Last week the band had Lee attempt to sing. With some work, the band could pull off some harmonies. He finds some really great music that is getting a lot of air-play and sends it via voice-mail to the John and Kevin. He ends the night by buying two CD with tunes that the band wants to do. He practices his guitar and breaks in the new (used) volume pedal.July 17: Kevin Closes the DealIt seems like Christmas Eve at work. John, Kevin and Dave are wondering if Santa will put a paying gig in their stocking. Kevin makes numerous trips trying to catch Chuck. He finally does, and the band celebrates Christmas in July as Santa delivers a weekend gig at Cappy’s. Yes, Six Shooter will retake the stage at Cappy’s Pub in Louisville Friday, August 2 and Saturday, August 3. Dave is gone from excited to spastic. The band realizes they all need to move the “Six Shooter Project” up the priority scales in their lives. This date is much sooner than expected and the band has been caught with their pants drooping. The only way to catch up is to practice whenever possible. If we stick to Tuesday only practices, it means only practicing two times before playing out. We also need to produce some tapes of tunes to play between sets, and some lights. It’s a tall order to fill, and we need to keep productive.July 20: July PracticeThe band scrambles to put together a Saturday practice. John, Kevin, and Dave work together while waiting for Lee. They go over and over some rough spots.With Lee on his drummer throne around 5:30, the band launches into sets three, and two. They make sure to correct any spots that need correcting. It’s one of the most productive practices we’ve had. The practicing that has been happening behind the scenes is starting to pay off. The band launches into set one. A few changes are made to the lineup.Along the way a few songs get dusted off, and I feel we’re pretty focused on plowing through the songs. We will always dick off too much during practice. However, this was about as productive as Six Shooter gets. We make some good progress and lay the groundwork for Tuesday. Practice is ended so a slightly miffed Maria can go to a food festival.John and Dave go to KFC for dinner only to find that IT NO LONGER EXISTS!! The two venture over to John’s and duplicate tapes.July 25: Let there Be LightAfter finding out that Cappy’s Pub has zero in terms of lighting, John and Dave decide they better act now to ensure that some type of lighting is present for the gig next week. They go to Stambaugh’s and Big Lots and purchase colored floodlights and sockets. They then return to John’s house to wire the lights together. The band gets a boost when Dave gets the light-board his old band “Assault” use to use over 15 years ago. Fourteen out of 16 switches work on the board. The band currently has 4 lights now. This may not be enough. Tuesday is the last practice before the gig. Pressure is mounting. Kevin has put a radio in his new (used ) car, and is practicing like a mad man. Dave has made some tapes to play in between sets. Meanwhile, everyone can hear the clock ticking away.July 28: Kevin Throws Out His BackAfter a night of dancing at Maria’s brother’s wedding, Kevin’s back is a mess. After going to a chiropractor, Kevin finds out he has an enlarged disk in his back. The bottom line is he can’t get out of

August 2nd: Cappy’s Pub Night 1August 2nd has finally arrived. To add to the excitement of the day, John rips off half his fingernail on his right-hand pointer finger when the handle of his tool case breaks. John says it should be O.K. because there is so much pain his finger is numb. Dave has a sore shoulder from setting up the night before. Kevin’s back is improving daily but will be wearing the brace on stage tonight. With this in mind, we think of changing our name to Sicks Shooter. The band is excited.Dave has a big banner made in the Graphic Enterprises copy center and later adds foil to the letters. It looks pretty cool. The band tacks this to the stage.Kevin is approached by “Mike the DJ” who asks when the band is starting tonight. He inquires to see if we’re going on 10:00 normal time or “bar time” (which is about 20 minutes fast). Mike DJ’s from 9:30 until 10:00. It’s time. The band takes the stage. Dave wonders into his corner and says a quick prayer. A calm mind will help focus on the task at hand (Kicking Ass). Kevin looks at the band and announces, “here we go” and the band launches into Honkey Tonk Attitude.Much like the December 22 VFW appearance, the first set is used to get the sound set. Chuck is doing his best to feed John with information, and actually helping tune the knobs. While Chuck is not a musician, he listens to music most of the day. By the end of the first set, except for Dave’s guitar being too soft, the sound is set.A large Graphic crowd has shown up including: Jeff Aul, Trisha Berger, Bob and Lori Corrigan, Karen Sarvis, April Long, Kim Allen, Jeff Johns, Kristy Yeager, and Jim Lowder. While this is great, it did add a certain amount of pressure to make a good first impression. With this in mind, Dave is glad his guitar wasn’t quite loud enough as he pulled off one of the worst performances to date. What guitar work he could remember his fingers wouldn’t play, and he seemed to being drawing a few too many blanks on stage. This is especially noticeable on Burn that Bridge. Luckily, the band seems to be developing a skill at covering up each other’s mistakes Set one consisted of:SET ONE1. HONKY TONK ATTITUDE2. BIG OL’ TRUCK3. DUMMAS WALKER4. THINKIN PROBLEM5. LIFESTYLES OF THE NOT SO RICH AND FAMOUS6. TWO OF A KIND7. AINT NOTHIN’ WRONG WITH THE RADIO8. BURN THAT BRIDGE9. PICK UP MAN10. TRASHY WOMEN11. WHISKEY AINT WORKIN’12. TEXAS TORNADO13. MERCURY BLUES14. STICKS AND STONES15. BORN TO BOOGIE16. MARRIED TO A WAITRESS.Set one showed the rustiness of Six Shooter. The in-between song banter was rough around the edges. Dave (feeling silly) announces to the crowd “Everybody have fun tonight- Everybody WANG CHUNG TONIGHT.” While it got the laugh he was looking for, it also left many persons asking, “Whaaa???”.Set two found a band whose nerves had settled, a guitar player pissed at his performance and determined to redeem himself (he had to play good now, we had turned up his guitar). The boys saddled up and launched into 3rd Rock from the Sun. The rest of the set included:1. 3RD ROCK FROM THE SUN2. WATERMELON CRAWL3. I LIKE IT I LOVE IT4. BEER N BONES5. GOD BLESS TEXAS6. AINT MUCH FUN SINCE I QUIT DRINKIN7. HERE’S A QUARTER8. SO HELP ME GIRL9. WHAT MIGHT’VE BEEN10. WALK SOFTLY11. BUBBA HYDE12. ROCK MY WORLD13. SHE’S GOT THE RHYTHM14. THE RACE IS ON15. GRUNDY COUNTY AUCTIONAgain, the band’s beginning are a little shaky. However, Kevin has loosened up, and now is getting the crowd completely involved, as he elicits “YEE-HAWS” from the crowd. Except for a near fatal beginning of Bubba Hyde that was just pure ugly, the band is hitting their stride, and firing on all cylinders. The monitor mix is missing, but

August 3: Sabotage in LouisvilleThe band arrives in the afternoon and replaces the blown speaker in a manner of minutes. They decide to adjust the monitors so Dave and Kevin can hear what they’re singing on stage. Unfortunately, John’s snake is not fully functional and the band won’t be able to move the soundboard. Strangely enough, had they needed to, all the plugs out front are now taken up by Mike the DJ. It doesn’t matter, by the end of the last set last night, the sound was pretty much right on. Now with the monitors up, everything should be great.John and Dave arrive early to play pool only to find the table out of service. A quick run to the air-conditioned Burger King takes place. Chuckie jokes that the cost of Burger King will come out of “Kris’ beer money” (Dave realizes that his performance last night may be the new running gag) An earlier call to Lee’s house finds that he has been working on things and is laying down (this ends the mystery). Hopefully, the Burger King trip will not be too big a mystery for Kevin when he arrives.Mike the DJ plays from 9:30 -10:00. As the band gets ready to perform Kevin switches on the power amps only to have a loud FFFFRRRRRRRRRMMMMMM!!!! Come blaring out of the speakers. John and Kevin look at each other in horror. The question on everyone’s lips seems to be, “What the fuck?”The song on the dance floor ends. Mike announces that Six Shooter will be on in about 5-10 minutes MAYBE. Upon reviewing a reference sheet on the knob settings of the board, it is determined that someone has messed with the knob settings. The band will be going on late as they scramble to figure out what is wrong. Mike the DJ comes up to see what is going on that caused the loud feedback. When we explain that someone has messed with our board, he announces that he was the only one in there today and he didn’t see anyone on the stage. Dave thinks if anyone would have a motive here, it would be Mike. The band puts a band-aid on the system and lets it rip. Unfortunately, the vocals are extremely low out front. Dave pulls a quick “Country Chicken Pickin’” guitar riff out of his ass to fill in the time as yet more tweaking is done to the system. He dubs this the “adjust the sound system song.” John and Chuck tweak and retweak the system trying to find out what got adjusted. John mouths “I don’t know what’s wrong” during a song to Dave. This is too bad as much of the band is really really tired from the previous night, and with a calmer demeanor, is playing much more solid. Except for switching set one and two, the band performs the songs the same.Chuckie is dealing with Chuck the bar owner who is complaining about the sound. This is not looking good. The set ends, and John gets to work at troubleshooting the system.The bar owner later says there were some past employees who were not thrilled about bands coming in to play, in the bar today. John discovers that the cross-over was turned off. This means that both types of sound (bass and treble) went to every type of speaker (usually bass notes go to the bass bins, vocals go through the smaller speakers etc.). This is a possibly damaging situation. We are relieved that we found the problem. Hopefully, nothing is damaged.Meanwhile, it takes everything Maria has not to kick Mike the DJ’s ass. While we have a motive, we have no proof. The band launches into set two. Once again, set two seems to be the one where everyone hits their stride. Musically we’re back on track. John attempts to provide some monitors (which again are almost nonexistent). Mistakes again are covered up. Song beginnings seem to be our weakness. Dave notices that while walking by our stack of speakers Mike pays special attention to the high-end speakers (tweeters). Hmmmmm...John decides to announce that August 21 will be the beginning of the BATTLE OF THE BANDS competition, and thanks Cappy’s for bringing LIVE...

August 7: We’re Going Back to Cappy’sWith Kevin in Pennsylvania, John makes the trip to Cappy’s. There is plenty of good news. In talking with John, Chuck (the bar owner) says “People are talking” about our appearance. Consequently, Chuck has asked us to return September 6 and 7 with a raise in pay of $300 ($700 total for the weekend). Cappy’s also wants to hold a dance for teens on a Sunday night sometime THIS MONTH (OH YEAH). This is for an undisclosed amount. Things are definitely looking up.August 10: Dave Gets BoofedDave and Kevin decide to go to Cappy’s this weekend to see “Phoenix.’ Dave hits the “Red Pepper” in Barberton only to find that it’s closed. He then goes to the Shenandoah and drops off a tape. Pretty much the same tune as before at the Shenandoah (they want us to audition again). The Shenandoah is such a dive. There are never more than 20 people in there at a time. Dave then goes to the Tangled Spur only to find that the house band has pulled it together (thus no room for Six Shooter).At Cappy’s Dave sees Phoenix drummer Jack Beam whom he knows from past experience (he originally talked to Jack about purchasing drums back when Six Shooter first formed). The band opens up with Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “House is a Rockin” and performs other country classics as the Georgia Satellite’s “Keep Your Hands to Yourself.” The band has a front man that sings and plays the harmonica. This means every song has a harmonica part. The band is running the sound via a snake from the front. While their song list may not be as good as Six Shooter’s, their sound is solid. Their in-between song banter is moot. They barely come up with anything to discuss except the bachelorette party going on in the back. They sounded good, but Dave is a little confused on their choice of country songs. Dave is a little pissed at the fact that Kevin and Maria are a no-show. Dave is curious as they decided not to meet at their house (minutes away), if this was preplanned. Dave’s feelings are hurt but will survive. The lack of communication via voice mail or answering machine was the exact thing the band was concerned with Lee last weekend. John was a “possibly maybe” due to relatives in from out of town. After watching the first song of the second set, Dave leaves. On his way to the parking lot, Dave hears the band launch into Sly and the Family Stone's “Dance to the Music” in the middle of Watermelon Crawl. This song did start off with a drum solo that was impressive.Upon returning to the Shenandoah, Dave listens to the “Country Jammers” do (you guessed it) “Keep your Hands To Yourself” by the Georgia Satellites. They also did some Merle Haggart song. It’s been a bad night, and Dave heads for home.Later when talking to Kevin, Kevin explains that they just didn’t make it. As Kevin puts it, “you got boofed.”August 17: Kevin Goes a Pimpin’Kevin hits the Carriage House and the Elms club and admits that neither sound promising. Meanwhile ,Dave has tried to get the Shenandoah to relinquish their “Must Audition” policy, but they say we still have to audition. I think John summed it up best when he sarcastically said, “We’re not playing the Shenandoah- Boo-Hoo, Waaa.”September 5: Repair WorkWell t,he band is rusty due to a cancellation of practice. It’s been a fun time. John and Kevin have been tearing apart the power amps. Two transistors are replaced. After much testing ,it appears that the amplifiers have simply lost their balls. There is no real punch. Then suddenly they came to life (it appears one of the outputs is funky). Unfortunately ,John and Kevin are up late most of the week. The sound check on Thursday night ended around midnight. Oh yes, work will be fun tomorrow.September 6-7 Back at...

October 18 Cappy’s, Buns, and Bow TiesThe band gets a rude awakening when Lee sees that the band’s name on the Cappy’s marquee for October 18 and 19. The band was practicing for the following week (the 25th). We work with the owner, and he ends up putting us on after a Male review called “California Hunks” (from Columbus Ohio). The band waits in the back as men are not allowed in the bar as a group of 70 or so women fondle and paw at the loincloth-wearing pieces of meat. Dave starts off the night on stage with his Ted Nugent imitation, “Mercy mercy, I’ve died and gone to heaven, I’m playin’ to a bar full of horny woman.” This evokes a “Dave!?” from Kevin.The women were sloshed. We were even joined on stage by a drunken wench that the band affectionately referred to as Bambi. She had brown hair and weighed about 45 pounds. As she jumped up on stage and began to wiggle and jiggle, John gave her a “bump” and shot-putted her halfway across the stage. Dave joined John in using Bambi as a human ping pong ball. During Bubba Hyde, Dave was doing the famous James Brown arrangement. He went out and “bumped” with Bambi. As they boogied back to back, Dave realizes that if he moves too quick Bambi is gonna end up on the floor. When he finally maneuvers to get away, Dave feels an arm come over his shoulder as Bambi tires to keep him on the dance floor. Dave does a spin move and catapults himself back to the safe haven of the stage (Glad to get back with his life intact).Later during a break, Bambi helped herself to a microphone. At this point, Dave went up on stage and said enough is enough. Later Bambi would try to get a whole sentence out to explain that she want’s us to sing “Bappy Hirthday.” Later John witnesses as Bambi’s female traveling partner bites her tit on the dance floor. The owner explains that things were getting a little overheated in the parking lot.The band has a blast, but without a sound check, they don’t sound as sharp as usual out front. Chucky works out the bugs, but the stage volume is too loud and again, the monitors are almost useless. Dave has an extremely hard time hearing his backup vocals. When he does hear them, they’re pretty rough. The band performs 3 new songs. These were My Maria, Daddy’s Money, and On a Good Night (show opener).Saturday has the band moving the board to a new spot. In the process, the band’s sound clears up and it sounds awesome! The band turns down their stage volume, and the monitors are heard loud and clear. Unfortunately, it’s sweetest day, and the crowd is beyond shy. The band is treated to the pleasure of asking someone to turn off the jukebox. Dave tries to get a giggle by insinuating that Madonna has a venereal disease and that’s why she had a cesarean delivery of her child (he refrains from making a joke about finding missing super bowl rings). Unfortunately Ernie the DJ is short on CD’s and asks the band to play a little longer sets. Hmm... the band enters the lovely land of improvisation on stage. They pull off a version of Boot-Scootin' Boogie that must have lasted almost 10 minutes. Kevin was like a quarterback calling plays at the line of scrimmage. As he announces “Extended version” in the middle of Watermelon Crawl. The band pulls a few songs off the “Left-over” list, and realize why most of them are on the list in the first place (they suck). Dave accidentally cuts Ain’t nothin Wrong with the Radio in half as he puts the solo in the wrong place. However, in hindsight, this was probably a blessing.The band can’t believe the dead quiet after each song. The band would hammer out the final chords of a song, end it with a thunderous crunch and then you would hear the chirping of crickets in the back corner of the bar.Dave receives a job offer to join a band that is playing out 2 times a month. I think they were called Southern Exposure or something. Anyway, he takes the guy’s number just to be...

October 26: Kevin Keeps his Foot in the DoorDave goes over to Kevin’s to get his amp for the Southern Heart practice-steal your keyboard player session. In talking with Maria and Kevin, Dave and Kevin voice some items that have been brooding in their minds. Dave hasn’t always been 100% thrilled with the fact that John has never really learned what is on the record (in terms of bass parts). While he has learned enough to stumble through, he’s never learned that extra 15% that can make a difference. Other issues are discussed, and Dave explains how he’s not upset at Kevin, but more the situation. He’s kind of excited about looking at different options. The thought of singing with someone else is still a very foreign idea. Dave realizes that Kevin is part owner of the drum set. Yet another complication to work out. Kevin explains how Tuesday John, Dave and Lee can decide what direction they will take. With John moving, moving practice back to John’s may not be an option. Suddenly the Southern Heart audition takes on a different meaning. Dave is 100% positive John will jump back into bed with Dan and revive their band “The Bends.” “On to a new frontier,” Dave thinks as he walks across Kevin’s front lawn. He embraces the fear of the unknown and decides to make the most out of a depressing situation.During their discussion, Maria explains that with her current work schedule and band practice, she only sees Kevin one night a week. “AHA!” Dave thinks - the missing objection. Dave pats himself on the back for using his “handling objection” skills.Later that day................................................Kevin calls Dave to explain some things. After thinking a few things out, Kevin realizes that it’s not fair just to say “I quit” and bolt out the door. The band has never had a chance to change its ways. Consequently, Kevin wants to sit down with the band and discuss some of the issues that he and Dave had discussed previously in the day. While the band has got along great, played above average, Dave and Kevin realize that communication is really lacking. We need to put ALL of our concerns on the table. We need to polish up on being a band and strengthening the four-way-marriage that is the band.In a sense, if we addressed all his concerns, Kevin feels the band would fun again. This pretty much shoots the shit out of Dave’s “Handling Objections” theories. Dave kicks himself in the balls and makes a mental note that most salesmen are full of shit.Dave is relieved and looks forward to the communication challenge of the coming practice on Tuesday.October 29: Kevin Goes PublicKevin announces to the band that as of Friday he quit. He has since thought it over and thought it only fair to try to reconcile our differences first. The main problems are:• Stage volume is too loud and the equipment being unreliable adds to frustrations.• The amount of negativity that abounds at practice-usually brought about by bashing Graphic Enterprises for 30-40 minutes.• The lack of practice by all members.• In general -IT’S NOT FUNThe band admits that some of the song lists should be readjusted to play songs that people can dance to.It decides that we need to fine-tune our sets, and have songs run into each other. This eliminates the need for “witty banter” in between songs. It also will keep people on the dance floor.The band decides to set agendas for each practice. By having a set amount of items to practice we can focus on the tasks at hand. By eliminating the bitch session, we can focus on the music. The band also realizes that eventually there may not be a need to practice every week.John has some ideas on how we can streamline the sound system to make it more portable, and sound better.The band realizes we need to spend some time “surfing the scene” and see what people are dancing to -instead of what...