Thoughts On The 1/1/10 1 Uppers Gig
On Friday 1/1/10 the 1 Uppers performed at the Conor Byrne in Ballard. This would seem to be a day of destiny with all those 1s in play. We were a little concerned when this show was booked; our assumption was that most people (and possibly the band) would be appropriately exhausted and hung over from New Year’s Eve the night before. Therefore we feared it might be a light crowd. We were pleasantly surprised to find our assumption was incorrect. We had a great crowd and people stayed until the very end of the show.
Because we were playing last on the bill, we didn’t get a soundcheck and had to pretty much wing it for a mix. I actually like the fact that Conor Byrne doesn’t put drums or amps in their PA system. It seems more honest to me, requiring the bands to manage their own mix from the stage. It is interesting to see how people react to the band. We’re an unusual country act, but I’m pretty confident that we present a faithful interpretation of the music we do.
This was the second night using my newly expanded pedalboard. The new Keeley compressor really shines in this context. I found that it really helped fatten up my guitar tone for those parts where the guitar is more exposed. It’s also very pleasing to have such good ears all around me on stage. Lots of interesting comments from my bandmates. Definitely worth every penny it cost to add that gizmo to my arsenal.