Slippery People

Entry #1 - Start of the Day: Our Live Debut - 8-8-22

After roughly 2 years of playing music with and for other people the first show is a bit of a loaded affair. Less so for the audience, but very much for me. But that’s not to say the first show is weightless for others. Any time you play there are judgements taking place. Sometimes it’s mental notes being made regarding the level of musicianship or songwriting (ripping solo’s galore, or a really tight horn section); or maybe it’s a more kinesthetic registering of how you felt when moving (or not moving) to the music. It could even be factors out of the artist’s control, such as the members of the crowd and how someone relates to those around them (do they see the crowd as joyful, uptight, aggressive, etc.), how the sound is mixed, was there a place to sit, how was the weather; generally speaking, what was the mood. So this, along with all the internal judgements and struggles both leading up to, and in the moment of a show, make a live debut more than just another show. Whether folks are aware of it or not, how things go may have a profound effect on how things move forward. In other words, when everything is said and done, did it all seem worth it (especially true when you are bringing your own PA system and doing your own sound mixing)

In the case of this past Sunday at Napa Porchfest, by all accounts that I’m privy to, the live debut of Slippery People was a success. The weight has been lifted, and I can now move forward knowing that it is indeed possible. Even when I was the lead singer and lyricists in past bands it was always an equal partnership with other musicians. Songwriting, ambition, and buy-in always felt equally shared by all. In this case though, being a bandleader and sole songwriter for Slippery People made the whole thing feel new, and a bit scary. Covid certainly contributed to it, but another reason it took over a year after the release of my first (and only, as of typing this) album, Fandango, was that I wasn’t sure anyone would feel passionate enough to jump onboard. In my head I thought, for a band playing covers in a bar or at a wedding, there is a certain level of guaranteed income, and it can also be pretty fun. You also know that, if playing the hits, the audience will be satisfied. In my case here, I was convinced people wouldn’t be interested in playing songs that A) nobody really knows, and B) don’t lend themselves to making money playing bars and weddings. Being almost 40 now, and with peers who have a number of responsibilities, if any of us are going to play music in that context, it’s going to need to be something they really enjoy. Seemed like it would be asking a lot from others who didn’t, like myself, already have quite a bit invested in the music.

But thank god! My fears were generally unfounded. In putting out the word that I was looking for musicians (and in some cases reaching out specifically) others expressed interest to play my music with me. First Joel Fennie mentioned he may be down to play drums, though he hadn’t been playing as actively as of late. I could relate to this, having gone through a fairly dry spell for a few years, ending a couple years ago. Joel and I had met in middle school and he and I were in our first band together, Midge (which was, I must admit, something akin to nu metal, and definitely had a turntablist in the mix). I was politely kicked out of the band for reasons that can’t fully be articulated, but that, at the time, can generally be understood to be due to me being on a much different wavelength than my former bandmates. When you show up to practice for a nu metal band, and you’re bumping Cream, Steely Dan, and a bunch of 1970’s jazz fusion from the stereo of your blue and white Bronco II, it’s not exactly surprising when the chemistry just isn’t quite right. All in all though, it was a blessing in disguise, because it allowed me time to explore other musical endeavors and forge new musical partnerships that would prove very fruitful for me. All that being said, I knew Joel to be a level headed dude who was a super solid drummer.

The next fish to bite the proverbial wiggling worm was Jonathan Wertz. I knew Jonathan from being in a number of different local ensembles that my old band, The Buttercream Gang, had played with. Jonathan is of a younger generation though, so our brief encounters were mostly as two bassists and music appreciators than as two guys who had opportunities to hang out with one another for any great length of time. Nevertheless, I knew Jonathan had skills and that he was also someone who seemed excited to play. Essentially the two most important requisites along with the knowledge that he was a good dude.

At this point, having written and recorded most of the parts on my album, I wasn’t sure what instrument/s I would be playing live. Since I’d be singing I knew that I didn’t really want to be tied down to a keyboard. Haveing to have both your hands and mouth anchored to fixed points can be a bit stifling when you just want to go fucking crazy and get weird on stage. Drums and bass are the instruments that I’m most comfortable with, but those were both accounted for with Joel and Jonathan, so I was leaning towards playing guitar. Not my strongest instrument, but, given that I wrote and recorded the parts, I knew they were all within my skill level. Very simple riffs and uncomplicated chord progressions. This leaning towards guitar was solidified when I reached out to two former bandmates.

Max Bonick and Alex Garcia played in The Buttercream Gang live band for a number of years before we stopped making music. Their keyboard and saxophone skills, respectively, were top notch, they are both nice dudes (again, so important), they make music together in other projects, and we already had a certain level of musical rapport. Thank god, when I reached out to each of them they agreed to give the live band a try.

At the time (and still), I had dreams of having an additional background singer, a percussionist, and a pedal steel guitarist in the mix, but with Joel, Jonathan, Max, Alex, and myself, I felt pretty good that we could make something happen; that we could bring the songs from Fandango to life and give them wings. Napa Porchfest created a wonderful deadline for me to get my ass in line and make the damn thing happen. I tend to enjoy a relatively fast approaching deadline and am generally confident in what I can pull off in any given time. Sometimes I overshoot it when considering what can be done, but if you strive for transcendence and only achieve greatness, or even goodness, that alright by me. You can always adjust the height of your ambitions as you go, right?

So, about a month and a half with practices about once a week. Perfect. Of course, Covid, kids, mortality, jobs, moving, quality time with loved ones, etc. and coordinating it all between five people made this a bit more difficult to carry out in reality. We lost about 3 weeks to cancellations after one member got covid, only for me to get it once he was back in the clear. Needless to say, time was tight. But we all moved ahead with the Slippery People crash course. The other 4 focused on learning to play the songs. For myself, a bit of that too, but also, I need/ed to figure out how to be an effective band leader. Too early to say if I’ll arrive there, but we all did our part well enough to pull off a really enjoyable show in front of family, old friends, new friends, and new fans. I’m not sure I can ever do justice to the feeling I get when playing live. It’s like juggling plates, dancing, reciting a poem, ripping out your heart and placing it in a display case, and doing a stand up comedy routine all rolled into one. Incredibly exhilarating, often cathartic, and almost always really fun. And to play in front of friends who have never seen me perform, it always feels like the final step in sharing the entirety of myself with those I care about.

The details are still being figured out for next steps forward, but I think it’s pretty safe to say, there will definitely be an opportunity to play more Slippery People shows in the near future (knock on wood).

For those who took the time to read this, I’ll be trying to do some blog entries more regularly (once a month perhaps?); but let me know if there is anything you’d be interested in me discussing, or what you think of the writing thus far. I want it to be something you want to read, not just some empty vessel for my own self indulgence. Things I’m considering, critical writing about some of my favorite works in my favorite art form (music), experiences being in a band, recording, etc. General musings on my life in Napa and Sonoma. Who knows? Regardless, thanks for coming along with me on this journey!