The Musician - Part 1

 

There is a local bar that you enjoy.

During the day it is a cafe, with good food, and makes good coffee, but at night it also serves local beers and mixed drinks.

But the reason you like it, is that on Fridays and Saturdays, there is live music.

Most of the time it’s local bands but sometimes there are new groups on their way up or older performers who enjoy playing the coffee house circuit.

Tonight, you walk in and look to the stage.

You see a quartet setting up. A drummer, guitarist, keyboardist, and bass player.

This looks hopeful because you enjoy live rock music.

The drummer and guitarist are both guys, and the bass player and keyboardist are women.  Everyone is wearing a loose button up shirt that is unbuttoned with a t-shirt or a tube top underneath.  A very ‘90’s grunge look, but the instruments are what keeps catching your eye.  The front of the bass drum has a painting of a light house with clouds around it, and you see the drummer lay out a bandolier of harmonicas on a small table. 

The keyboardist is setting up a double rack, one over the other, and then plugs in a mixer, a laptop and other electronics you don’t recognize. She has her hair in a ponytail as she checks the cables and connections. 

The bass player is unpacking and setting up both an electric bass and a steel guitar. She plugs in each one and does a quick tune and sound check.  She stands tuning the bass, then you are a little surprised when she sets it down, sits, and places the shiny steel guitar on her lap, skillfully playing a quick tune, with the house lights reflecting on her dark skin. 

Wearing a denim vest over a colored t-shirt, the lead guitarist sets up an electric guitar and an acoustic one.  He does a quick tune up and sound check with his too. As you watch, you don’t know which looks more natural on him, the brightly colored electric guitar or his light tan acoustic as he, one at a time, tunes and puts the strap around his shoulder. With each one he walks around the stage and quickly plays a tune. 

None of the members are playing the same tune as they check their instruments.

On a small table at the side of the stage, they put out a few CDs and a sign with prices and payment methods. One of the last things they place on the edge of the stage is a laminated sign that has their electronic payment codes for tips, and in larger letters you read “Brain Fog Lighthouse.”

This could be a very interesting night. 

You get a table not too far from the stage but not too close to the speakers. 

The waiter comes by, “What will you have tonight? A beer, a mixed drink, or an herbal tea?”

You smile at him.  “You remembered my herbal tea order? That was weeks ago.  I feel like something classic tonight. Give me a Cuba Libre.”

“Very good, one rum and coke. Did you want something to eat tonight?”

“Not yet. Maybe later.” You say. He heads over to the bar to get your drink.

You chuckle to yourself, when you think about having an herbal tea.  Last month, when a guy with a full-sized Irish Harp was on stage, drinking anything other than herbal tea just felt wrong that night.

The waiter brings your rum and coke.  You take a sip.  The Caribbean rum mixed with cola and a twist of lime smoothly goes down.  Later, you might have to have some chips or something to go with it. 

At that point the house lights dim, and the stage lights brighten. 

“We are the “Brain Fog Lighthouse”, A one, a two, a 1, 2, 3, 4.”

He takes and strikes the opening chords to the “The Boys are Back in Town.”

They do a good version.  A few people are singing along, as others are moving rhythmically in their seats and drinking.

At the end of the song, he says “All Right! As I said, we are the Brain Fog Lighthouse, I am Jimmy, on guitar,” He points to his right, “On Bass, and Dobro, we have Shonda,”

She steps up and bows.

“On Keyboards we have Pat,” and the thin woman standing at the rack of keyboards waves to the crowed. 

“And on Drums, we have Stan.” The shaggy haired drummer does a quick roll of the drums ending with a cymbal crash.

You sip your drink again.  “The drummer is cute.” You think to yourself.  Actually no one in the band is bad looking. Before you complete that thought, Jimmy says “Let’s keep things going….”  Stan beats out a rhythm and the guitar joins in.

From behind her keyboards, you hear Pat sing “Been a long time since I Rock & Rolled…”

People in the bar scream at the sound of “Rock and Roll.” More of the patrons are singing along. With Pat doing the lead vocals on that one, it sounds good.

They transition from that one to “Crazy on You” with Pat still on lead vocals while Jimmy and Shonda duel it out guitar versus bass.

The energy in the bar is growing as the band is encouraging folks to sing along.

Watching them onstage, you think about each member.

Jimmy has that “classically rugged” look to his face. He looks like he belongs on a truck commercial or on a horse.

As Shonda moves on stage, her hips sway sexily in her form fitting jeans and her breasts bounce in her white tube top. If you were into women, you might have a good time.

You have similar thoughts about Pat as she stands by her keyboards and moves her slender body back and forth.

No, it’s Stan who draws your attention.  His strong arms move so fast on some songs and slower and steady on others. 

When the band starts singing “You’ve Got to Fight For Your Right to Party” you are singing along too.

Your Cuba Libre is empty and you order another one.

As that one ends, Jimmy does the intro for the next song.  “This is one that Shonda loves doing. Girl, take it away.”

Her bass thumps a very familiar rhythm as the you hear the opening strains to “Under Pressure” Jimmy is snapping his fingers as his guitar hangs down.  Shonda takes the lead vocals on this one, with Pat doing the higher backups. The mix of their voices sounds different than what you expected, but it’s really good. When Jimmy grabs his guitar again, it fills the café with music in just the right way 

“Damn they are good. The voices aren’t perfect, but they know how to play.”

As the closing strains of “Under Pressure” ends, Jimmy plays a few power cords as he goes straight into “Young Lust”. Stan is singing from behind his drums on this one. 

When he sings “Oooooo…..I need a dirty woman…Ooooooo…… I need a dirty girl.” You swear he is looking right at you.  With the stage lights, you know that he can’t see anyone in the bar, but the thought makes you tingle.

“I might switch to drinking just cokes after this one.” You think to yourself.

When that one ends, Jimmy asks the band, and the crowd, “What are we looking for?”

Pat, Shonda, and Stan in a mix of voices, acapella answer “Can anybody... find me…some body to…..” and the crowd answers “Love”.

Pat switched the keyboard so that it sounds like a piano and she expertly plays the keys, and once again takes the Lead vocals. The others do the supporting vocals for “Somebody to Love.”  They definitely aren’t Freddie Mercury and Queen, but it is a fun version and perfect for a club where folks are drinking and singing along.

You too are singing along, “find me somebody to love….”

As her clear voice echoes from the speakers at the end of the song, everyone is standing, cheering and clapping.

“Yeah, Give it up for Pat.” Jimmy yells encouragingly.

She steps a little forward and makes a quick bow, her dark ponytail swinging behind her. Then she hits a few settings on her keyboards and starts a deeper rhythmic chord.  Shonda takes her bass and joins in with her microphone right before her dark full lips. “Mamamamaaaa…..Mamamamaaaa…. “ as she starts the opening lines of “Poker Face”.

The crowd is feeling it, moving, and singing along.

After a while you are just enjoying yourself. You realize that there is a pretty even split between who takes the lead for some of the songs.  Jimmy takes songs that are in the lower register, Stan and Shonda take middle, and Pat takes the higher tone songs. 

When they go from “Promises in the Dark”, to “L.A. Woman” to a rocking version of “Man! I Feel Like a Woman.”

The songs just flow from one to the next.  Tempos that go from slow to rocking fast, and back down.  Your own heart is beating with excitement as you hear their versions of each song.  You keep watching Stan, because there is just something almost magnetic about him.

During “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” Shonda is playing her steel guitar. It all sounds so good.

“Let’s do one more before we take a break,” Jimmy says.  He picks up his acoustic guitar and Shonda keeps her steel one.  This is a slower tempo but feels good, as they go into “Wondering Where the Lions Are.”  Some people keep singing along, but most drop off, not knowing the words, but Stan’s voice sounds clear and good as he the lead on this one. When he sings “Some kind of ecstasy has got a hold on me” you wonder if he could give you a night full of ecstasy.

As the song ends, everyone stands and claps again.  “Ok, folks, we need to take a little break. But we will be back.” Jimmy says as Pat puts on a series of pre-recorded instrumentals “Green Onions” “Tequilla” and a few others that you only vaguely recognize.

The band members head to the restrooms and then to the bar for something to drink.

You notice that a number of guys have gone to talk to both Shonda and Pat, but you chuckle a bit as you notice that Shonda seems more interested in some of the ladies in the room.  Some women and men go up to Jimmy to talk and buy some CDs.

You see Stan quietly at the bar.  Grabbing your mostly empty glass, you walk over.

“You are amazing on drums.” You say. 

“Thanks.  Wait until our second set. That’s when I get to break out the harmonicas.”

“Really, why harmonica?”  you ask as you finish your drink and set the empty on the bar.

“It is the first instrument I learned how to play.  I love using my mouth and tongue across the surface and having it make music.  It’s almost like oral sex.” He says with a wink.

“Do you have a lot of groupies that you hook up with on the road?” you ask.

He shakes his head, “No.  If you noticed, we don’t have roadies or even someone separate to run the sound board.”

The bartender hands him a tumbler of clear liquid. “We don’t really lead the glamorous, hard drinking rock and roll lifestyle.” He says as he takes a big gulp of his drink.

“Not hard drinking?” you ask with a chuckle as he downs half of his glass.

“Not anymore, this is water with lime. When I’m onstage I don’t enjoy alcohol.  When I started out, I drank Gin and Tonics or Screwdrivers, but there is nothing worse than a band member who gets buzzed and loses track of where they are in a song.  As a drummer, keeping everyone in time, is my job. Just as much as Pat’s is watching the electronics, or Jimmy and Shonda’s is working the front of the stage and keeping the crowd excited.” He finishes it and asks for another.

You have the bartender give you a cola.

“So, with no groupies on the road, are you guys’ couples?”

Stan laughs loudly.  “No. We grew up listening to Fleetwood Mac and none of us want a “Rumors” situation. Besides none of us are each other’s types.  Jimmy likes ‘em big, Pat likes short guys, and Shonda, well..”

“She’s a lesbian” you blurt out.

“Oh, No. She just has sex with women.” He says with a laugh.

“And you.” You ask in a seductive tone.

He puts his glass down and takes your hand. He kisses it gently. “I like you.”   Then he looks up to the stage, “I need to get back on. I would like to continue talking after we finish. We are at the hotel down the block.  We can meet in the lobby and talk in the lounge.”

You lean in and kiss his cheek “Or we could continue talking in your room?” you say still in that seductive tone.

He smiles and let’s go of your hand.

(I hope you enjoyed Part 1.  If you did, then I hope you come back for Part 2.  If you enjoy my writings, leave me a comment.  Subscribe and follow me to get more stories when I post them weekly.)