another one bites the dust...
as seems to be the case with every odd numbered year, 2007 went pretty damn fast. we held a little funeral party for it. it pretty much sold out. this was our last show of the year obviously, and also our best ever at speakeasy. we have been playing a residency there once a month since the summer.
the spots were formed in an effort to be an anti-band. no songs. no writing. no rehearsals, no singing... minimal recording... just pure fun, with no agenda of making anything important out of it. since then... in about a year and a half - we've played festivals, various types of venues and exhibition halls, including the bham museum, been on the radio twice, tv once, had numerous blurbs in the papers, played a residency, drawn news cameras, gotten paid silly amounts of money, played numerous public and private shows, released an ep and professionally recorded a live record.
not bad for an improv band that puts more effort into it's show posters than it does rehearsing. for me, it was the year of the spots. although i played several benchmark shows with through the sparks and resumed my touring gig with john p. strohm, the spots were the focus. since my 1st show with the spots in early '06, i think we have only shared a bill with another band maybe twice... the spots really are unique in the state and certainly among a very rare group of bands nationally. the spots are still very much local... and relaxed. much different than working with bands on labels or touring indie rockers. musically, the spots blow my mind everytime we play. it has been a great year for music for me...
as seems to be the case with every odd numbered year, 2007 went pretty damn fast. we held a little funeral party for it. it pretty much sold out. this was our last show of the year obviously, and also our best ever at speakeasy. we have been playing a residency there once a month since the summer.
the spots were formed in an effort to be an anti-band. no songs. no writing. no rehearsals, no singing... minimal recording... just pure fun, with no agenda of making anything important out of it. since then... in about a year and a half - we've played festivals, various types of venues and exhibition halls, including the bham museum, been on the radio twice, tv once, had numerous blurbs in the papers, played a residency, drawn news cameras, gotten paid silly amounts of money, played numerous public and private shows, released an ep and professionally recorded a live record.
not bad for an improv band that puts more effort into it's show posters than it does rehearsing. for me, it was the year of the spots. although i played several benchmark shows with through the sparks and resumed my touring gig with john p. strohm, the spots were the focus. since my 1st show with the spots in early '06, i think we have only shared a bill with another band maybe twice... the spots really are unique in the state and certainly among a very rare group of bands nationally. the spots are still very much local... and relaxed. much different than working with bands on labels or touring indie rockers. musically, the spots blow my mind everytime we play. it has been a great year for music for me...
thanks to everyone who posted these photos...i sorted thru a few hundred. speakeasy has grown a lot in popularity this past year, and although i was astounded that there was zero advertising for this event in the numerous city papers... it was still a stylish, upbeat and receptive crowd. i did more promotion for this show than for any other show the spots have played. word of mouth certainly helped as well. but seriously... there was zero print advertising... wtf?
there should be more posted by other folks soon i assume. this is the 3rd incredible new years in a row. and the 2nd in a row that i have been involved in somewhat of a "venue production." next year i'm going to make vulcan disappear from the side of red mountain in front of a live national audience. 11 months to go until we know which asshole is going to replace dubya. i'm, like - totally excited.
there should be more posted by other folks soon i assume. this is the 3rd incredible new years in a row. and the 2nd in a row that i have been involved in somewhat of a "venue production." next year i'm going to make vulcan disappear from the side of red mountain in front of a live national audience. 11 months to go until we know which asshole is going to replace dubya. i'm, like - totally excited.