[Harp-L] My Gig last Saturday Night as a stand in...



Well.. I had a great night last Saturday..
I did a stand in again, and had a lot of fun!.. 
Let me tell you about it..
It was with a band called "Step-n-Thyme" in the little
country village of Reagan (not relation to the
ex-president.grin)
The Leader and also Employer was the Drummer, "Randy"
I learned that his gig was extremely rigid and done a
certain way, he said, "We're just some country boys
trying to make a little money. " This was at a very
large ,(like the school gym type with 4 rows of
chairs, on both sides..
 Is that what you would call a dance hall?
This was a real country dance that happens every
Saturday night. A friend of mine who owns the music
store in town (Savannah Tn )named Billy Perkins,
invited me which, surprised everyone else in the band,
But I had a chat with Randy (the leader) at Break, He
said, "You can sit in anytime you want,..Your pretty
good." 
 Billy also said that, And Billy was really hot too,
doing Lead Guitar and background vocals. Which I did a
little with the Bass player (Dwight Yokum's "Guitars
Cadellacs" ( Which I don't normally like Country, but
for some  wierd reason, I have all of his albums,
redneck sounding as he is.
 But By accident, they told me the chord (A) on
another song, when Randy motioned me to go up, which I
just wailed them..grin.
But after Billy said, "you was in the wrong Chord, you
have to play in another Key." (Well I know that..)
however I have to run through most chords that sound
right.. But being Country.. I was little at a loss,
and did not think, and realized also they'ed played a
bit more to the right of the harp. And it was blended
in a small wail, and blended back out. They had  a old
guy who was just awsome on the fiddle! Of course he
played a lot, and some songs just don't cut it with a
Harmonica of course, So I sat and watched.. Also where
is fingers were.. as well as the notes, grin.)
 But I tore it up on the slow sweet stuff
though..grin. But Too bad I was not on the Mike at the
time.. sigh.

Now I am sure the Country tunes are mostly not in Keys
of Blues music?
Would someone be so very nice and make up and send me
the Chart, of the second position for harmonicas?
please?

BTW..
Oh and there was this little two year old , that was a
little cute groupie, her Mom stood next to her to make
sure she didn't fall, standing on this little box
right in front of the stage, Just Dancing and smiling
and clapping her hands.. Sooo Cute.. I wish I had my
Camera!
Randy said,"Get with Billy and come up with something
to play next time."
 So maybe one of the many musicians that where there,
might notice and I could get a job?
I just said I like playing, I really didn't care.
Which is true.
I think I will go back next week though..grin
But they only play from 7:30 to 10:30. "The people
here are very picky.", He said. Plus he has other
musicians and singers also coming up so he has to
limit so much. Which I did not think of. The Country
folk, doing the two stepping, and doing the Promenade,
who btw.. don't like outsiders.. much less a Yankee,..
which technically I am not, I was born and raised
below the Mason Dixon line.
 I just don't talk like them. Which is a dead give
away. The first thing they ever say is, "where are you
from?". What a hard question too, then you have 
explain like its the 100,000 dollar question. And get
the raised Eye brow. There was older guy 50's with the
Gray Greaser type,wearing a Cowboy shirt, revealing
his hairy gray chest. He was just staring with a look
of of confusion.
Just stared at me, from the right all the way across
to the left of stage. I should have said take a
picture it lasts longer.. but no.. I kept it shut..I
was proud of myself!
Anyway..
 I learned more about the professional side of
Business
what to do and what not to do (like the error I made)
But he overlooked it, and just smiled. So I just
played along on a lot of the songs sitting in the
chair behind the Bass player, (who's name was Potsey
grin.) Seems they play certain songs in a certain
format, each and every Saturday night. To me it would
be boring playing the same songs in that certain order
each Saturday night.
Well it might work out.. But I have such a Blues
influence that I am going Country, just so i can
play.. sigh.. I can't help it I guess, So I will have
to retrain myself I think. On the way home, I clicked
on the radio to a Country station (of which they have
5 channels, two Gospel channels, one Easy listening
and of course the Public Radio station. Well I noticed
Country has changed, more lead Guitar, more like a
rock then before.. Not that I dislike country.. okay
.. No I really don't like it, ( and to think I was DJ
a a little country station in Grangville ID! Amazing
huh? But  of course that didn't last long..
 Also The station manager was the sister of the band I
was playing, (Brothers Hall Band) and of course she
had me working while they were playing in another
country town. She got mad at me because I would rather
be playing with them. oh well!


Well I yakked enough..
Hey if I can get that chart and some advice on the
Country music scene,  I would be grateful.. Sigh..
here I go again...

Thanks!

R.J. Baynum

Crump Tn.
(Its 130 miles west of Nashville, 100 to the southeast
of Memphis in West TN.)  

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