Double shot of Silverhands

Well, it’s a Monday night, and I am beat and wide awake at the same time. Maybe the next album will be called “Tired and Wired.” Strike last night at the theatre went til 1am which would have been just fine if we hadn’t rolled back into Seattle from Portland around 3am Sunday morning. Hold on, let me begin at the beginning.

Farfetcher was in sideman role for Silverhands on Friday and Saturday. It was a double shot gig with Cash’d Out, one hell of a Johnny Cash tribute band from San Diego. They took a liking to us a couple years back now, when we filled in for a disappearing opening act at the last minute down at the Tractor Tavern on good old Ballard Ave. Mike kept in touch, we played another gig with them, and I ran sound for them also one time. Suffice it to say, we get along just fine, and they invited us back, and to join them for the other NW stop in Portland.

The boss was kind enough to let me off the hook at OnTheBoards where Rimini Protokoll was doing their crazy social videogame thing – seriously, everyone in the audience gets a game controller and an avatar. 200 people then responding to game situations and questions like “do you want an army in this society?” Or “do you take the heroin?” Its Seattle so everyone said no, and yes. To all questions.

Anyways, I ran off on Friday and headed over to Greg’s for a little pre-show rehearsal. Yup! Greg from the Lost High Rollers (and also Tractor Tavern sound man) joined us on drums for both nights, which is a lot more rockin, than the 2 piece bit, and honestly decreases my noodle factor and ups the rhythm playing substantially. Now if we just could find a swingin bass player with the right curriculum vitae.

I had posted a guitar poll on facebook (thanks voters!) and the Yamaha Tele won out over the more often played (and better set up) Les Paul Special. Special mention to the Big Cat who managed to point out why the Tele was better without speaking the dread words “GIBSON????? PAUL REED SMITH!!!!!” Enough people told me the timing was too short – I’ll put the poll up earlier next gig J

On to the show! Sound check was easy enough, just switch out snare and cymbals and off we go. I left all the pedals at home, Tele through the Blues Jr is twangy and verby enough for the thing. Thanks to Kevin from Cash’d Out for reassuring me, and for the Tele Talk. Tuned by ear – suck it Antares – humans can do that you know!

The club was packed to the gills, and I was having a semi-severe case of the nerves, special thanks to the guy with arms crossed staring at my fingers the whole time. Got out of my head after a couple of choruses and then it was alright. As usual, the Cash’d Out crowd is expecting Johnny Cash tunes, and we have to win them over. It’s a bit easier with a drummer, but it was still hard to hear my guitar over the talking of 300+. Hmm, maybe I should get a Twin? Maybe this is the next FB poll. “Cornbread” went down well though, and Tom Parker came up to blow the hell out of a C harp. Yeh – tune is in G. Cross harp man. He also played on Orange Blossom Special with Cash’d Out which was balls out given the monitor situation.

Anne and I split to go home and watch Crazy Heart, which is a terrible movie. In North Carolina we say “Turr a Bull.” To (mis) quote Kris Kristofferson “that movie is to country music, what pantyhose is to finger fuckin.” Pardon my French. Go see Honeysuckle Rose.

Night two – after a lovely drive down to Portland, sunshine all the way, we wandered about the music stores, and I resisted a G&L Tele, and the Silvertone amp I was playing it through, despite the no sales tax thing. Greg bought a snare drum though, and it is awesome! Drummers - http://revivaldrumshop.com/

Danté’s is a killer club, with a fine sound system, Stevie the sound guy was punk rock fast, the cave of a green room is pretty great too, but turned us all into hunchbacks. We had Lefty, the one armed harmonica player and local rock star get up and blow in place of Tom, which got a good cheer from the locals. I pulled out the pedals again, I was missing the slapback, but the YahaTele played great, perhaps rewarding me for rejecting the G&L, or maybe it was the hour of warmup in the cave?

Cash’d Out rocked it out even better than at the Tractor, and the people were shouting along. Still as I pushed through with the gear headed for the van, there was plenty of backslaps and “good show man!” to go around. Lefty called us the Silverlads and was so dang happy to have played it made my night. The mighty Chad Hinman was in the house too – He’s at Club 915 on the 16^th. Here’s some links :

http://www.reverbnation.com/chadhinman

http://www.myspace.com/silverhandsmusic

http://www.myspace.com/cashdout

Here's a picture of a drink on a trash can.