All My Bands

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Just a few weeks ago, I was exiting the music building when I spotted a college chum. We exchanged pleasantries, and I had it in my mind to leave him then. However, he had something different in his mind. He suggested that I might enjoy playing in his band, a jazz-fusion group. I agreed that the idea tickled me to no small degree. So, I went to my house, grabbed my guitar and joined their rehearsal. Before fully realizing the weight of my decision, I had fallen headlong into The Jazz Workshop.


Tomorrow we play our first gig.

In Athens, on the north end of Court Street, in a funky, yuppie-esque bar known round these parts as the Blue Gator, jazz fusion and rock/pop will pour from amplifier to ear during a concert benefiting a local, angry-leftist printing called the InterActivist. From behind a guitar, I will paint my musical soul onto a funky canvas woven of saxophone, keys and drums. We play from about 9 (post meridian) until about midnight. For those of you who have not yet heard me play an electric guitar, you may find the event quite a spectacle.


In other news, Ohio University has unveiled its latest brick-and-mortar child named The Baker Center. This five story building aggressively climbs up from the ancient bed of the Hocking River to the extreme southern end of Court Street. The climb is made easy on the feet by three pair of escalators aptly placed under the soft white glow of fluorescent bulbs. Travel those escalators to their uppermost on Friday night a little before 9:30 and you will have arrived at the Front Room Coffee Shop with enough time to buy a cup o' joe before the Gophers of Subversion take the stage.

Featuring a mix of timeless classics (we're talking Mozart and Schubert here), soul stirring hymns and a pop song or two for good measure, The Gophers blend clarinet, guitar and mouthy stuff into warm, liquid delight. Coupled with a spiced latte, the thirty-minute set is the perfect way to begin a night of winter merrymaking.

To review, I am in two ensembles: The Jazz Workshop (playing Thursday night at the blue Gator) and The Gophers of Subversion (playing Friday night from 9:30-10:00 in the Front Room). Holla' back if you're feelin' 'em. Hope to see you all there...

Comments

toristephens said…
This is an official "holla' back" for the Gophers of Subversion. I can't wait.
2:57 PM
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