John Hendow

The Rendezvous is a small, hip bar in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood. It contains “The Jewel Box Theater”, which is where musicians perform. The room probably holds 50 people, and looks crowded with two dozen.

Our gig was a late addition to our schedule, with another band inviting us to join the bill just a few days before. It turned out we were one of five (!) bands playing that night. Fortunately we got to play first, which meant we could start as early as we were ready, and then we could be home and asleep at a relatively decent time. We decided to only use the PA for vocals, with the drums going acoustic, and all the instrument amps just filling the room as best they could. Josh has a Fender Blues Deluxe guitar amp and like all Fender amps it sounds better when it’s turned up a bit. I like the slight compression provided by tubes running loud and hot into an open back speaker cabinet. And Janie plays better when she’s allowed to hit the drums a little harder. Brad and I pretty much do our thing no matter what, but I noticed we both were playing with more energy and intensity than usual.

Overall it was a great show. I felt more confident about my vocals at this gig, and the harmony parts seemed to work well. I haven’t made any substantial changes to my bass parts, but I have started to use more right-hand tapping to add a second bass line on some sections. Tapping two parts at the same time would be my preference for the entire gig. I really want a Warr guitar, but the price is prohibitive. My bass amp is still too boomy and feels underpowered for gigs. I am increasingly tempted to get a power amp and 4×10 cabinet for stage use. Then I can relegate my little amp to the practice room.

After our set, we hung out for a bit to lend support to the following acts. Brad and I were sitting at a table drinking a beer, and someone came up to compliment us on the show. He was appropriately impressed by Brad’s multi-instumental talents, and he also commented on my unorthodox tapping technique on bass (I think it was a compliment….).  I think there is a lot of potential for this band, and it will be fun to begin recording a new CD this fall.