[Harp-L] "Goofy" Gig

["Tim Moyer" <wmharps@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I had the unexpected and extreme pleasure this past Friday 
(10/27/06) of sitting in with an Austin act called the Biscuit 
Brothers (http://www.biscuitbrothers.com/).  The "brothers", Dusty 
and Buford, and their "sister", Buttermilk (Buttermilk Biscuit, get 
it?) host a locally produced program that provides musical education 
and entertainment for children, and airs on many PBS stations across 
the country.  They perform for benefits and fund raisers and the 
like, and were performing for a benefit for an area food bank.  
Their usual accordion player was unable to make it, and I was asked 
by the producer (who also happens to be the drummer in my jazz 
band!) to sit in with them, I guess as the token "free reed" 
instrument ;-)  

Let me tell you, it was a blast!  We performed for about 1000 
screaming children in Halloween costumes in an auditorium with built-
in sound reenforcement and live video feed for the big screen 
monitors.  In addition to a couple of original tunes written for the 
show we did such "goofy" classics as "This Old Man", "Old 
MacDonald", "Oh Suzannah!", and the "Hokey Pokey" (THAT's what it's 
all about!).  Most of these songs have extended dialog sessions in 
them while the brothers get them to participate in the show.  That 
meant that my part was to vamp, noodle, and fill, as well as sing, 
clap, stomp, yell, and jump up and down.  I had one two-bar solo in 
Old MacDonald, right after they yelled "On his farm he had a 
harmonica!"

These guys put so much energy into their music, and the kids 
absolutely loved it.  Before we went on we were backstage while the 
auditorium was filling.  On the monitors in the video production 
room we could see the kids jumping around and hamming for the 
cameras (hyped up on all that candy, no doubt), clamoring for the 
Biscuit Brothers to come out.  We looked at each others and someone 
said, "Now I know how the Beatles felt before Shae Stadium!"  

I have to say, it was one of the most fun gigs I ever played.  On 
top of that, I got paid.  Imagine that!

-tim