| The Magic [message #1419] |
Sat, 13 April 2002 08:18  |
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OK, I've been lurking on here for awhile, finally posted a message the other day about a K200 I'm working on. I first want to say how much I enjoy reading the posts here. Very nice board.
But this post is about what I call "the magic". It sounds like most of us here have many years experience playing in bands, so I'm sure most will know what I'm talking about. That moment, when the planets align, all things in nature are synchronized and the band just hits the groove. No one can do any wrong, it all just fits and you, the rest of the band, and the audience all know it. Every note played fits perfectly, the accoustics of the building seem to have changed simply for that particular moment and the sound is just magic. Sometimes it happens with people who have been playing together for years, sometimes it's with people who have never played together before. But no doubt, it does happen and the feeling is incredible.
My first experience with "the magic" happened when I was a senior in high school. The yearbook staff was putting on a pep rally to boost yearbook sales. The high school rock band I was in had offered to play a couple songs. So I loaded up all my equipment, brought it to school that morning. I was the only one in the band that did. About 45 minutes before the pep rally, I informed the Librarian, who was in charge of it all, that the band wasn't going to play. She promptly informed me that I WAS going to play something, period. So i went looking for someone, anyone to help me out.
I wandered into the band hall, practically begging someone to help me. This black guy that played sax said he'd do it. So he and I get in a corner and do the "what do you know?", "i don't know, what do you know?" routine for a few minutes until we figured out we both know how to play "By the Time I Get To Phoenix", the Glen Campbell song. Obviously, i played the background chords and he played the melody on the sax. We ran through it a couple times and it was time to get ready to perform.
The pep rally had already begun by the time I rolled the amp behind the stage. The sax player and I waited for a few minutes and it was our turn. We walked out on stage, 600 students all watching just the two of us on stage. He kicked it off and I fell in behind him. Someone had dimmed the lights, except for a spotlight shining on the two of us. He was excellent on the sax, very bluesy, knowing just what to do to just drip blues from that horn.
I'm there with him, just strumming chords and looking out at the audience occasionally. With the dimmed lights, it was a bit hard to see well, but I noticed some girls on the front row who actually had tears in their eyes. Other than the two of us, there was not another sound to be heard in that auditorium. Fortunately, I had enough sense to just do my job, background, and let him tend to the real business. The song is normally four parts, but we stretched it to six since we had to eat up about 10 minutes of time.
Even ending it was perfection, by sheer accident. We stood there, on stage, in the spotlight for about 20 seconds in dead silence and then the whole place went nuts, cheering, whistling, the whole nine yards. They wanted another song, but he and I didn't know another song together, so off the stage we went. But we both knew that we might get something similar to that in the future, but no way would it ever get any better than that. Few words were spoken between us afterwards. There wasn't any need for them. We both knew. It was the magic and there's just nothing like it.
How's that for a non-Kustom topic on a Kustom board? :-)
Rod
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| Re: The Magic [message #1426 is a reply to message #1419] |
Mon, 15 April 2002 00:43  |
Country_Gene
Messages: 42
Registered: December 2001
Location: Northwestern New Jersey
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Member |
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Had a similar experience recently........
A buddy and his wife came to visit recently. Haven't seen him in a long while. He used to play keyboards primarily, and fooled around on the acoustic guitar. I used to play bass primarily, and fooled around on the electric guitar. We've been friends for a long time but for some reason, we never jammed together.
I just got back into playing again after a fifteen year hiatus. I now focus on guitar playing (rather than bass). He has been focusing on playing acoustic guitar in recent years (not keyboards). Last time he was here, we fooled around on the acoustics, but never really got it together. He showed me the chords to "Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot. We strummed together while he sang. It was O.K. I don't really know how to jam on the acoustic guitar.
This recent visit, he and I went down to the family room and I asked him if he wanted to jam on the electrics. He borrowed my Epi Dot (335) and I pulled out my Strat. There was the usual difficulty getting started. Then he said he is used to playing chords (since he usually plays acoustic) and why don't I just take the leads. I felt unsure of myself, since i've only been playing again for a little less than a year, and I never really devoted myself to lead parts until this last go-around. But I said O.K.
He started laying down some improv progressions. I don't know how it happened, but I started playing some lead guitar like I've never done before in my life! It was as if my fingers had a mind of there own. We jammed for almost ten minutes solid.
Wives and kids had been upstairs, but came down to see what was going on. They caught the last part of our jam and wanted us to do another one. Figuring this was a fluke, my buddy and I just looked at each other. We figured, "Why not?" So we switched guitars and started another jam. Same thing happened again! He was getting into some great rhythm guitar stuff also.
Since the last time he was here, I had learned the electric guitar part to Edmund Fitzgerald, but had not played it with anyone before. I asked my buddy if he wanted to try it. He pulled out his acoustic and started strumming and singing. I was on the '335' with distortion and reverb. I flatpicked while he strummed. In between verses I played that haunting lead riff like on the record. His acoustic part was right on and his voice was a perfect Gordon Lightfoot cover. I was actually getting chills as we played.
Please understand that I'm not trying to brag. I am not that good a player. But that day, everyhting came together and it really was "Magic"!
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| Re: The Magic [message #1428 is a reply to message #1426] |
Mon, 15 April 2002 07:15 |
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Gene, great story. Never thought you were bragging, nor was I in my story. I think "the magic" is something out of all our control. It's one of those things that just happens and there's no explanation for it and certainly no way to anticipate it. I think it's more of a surprise for the musicians than for anyone else.
I don't live for that feeling either. I think one would be disappointed too often if that's the only reason you were playing, since most of the time most of us are making our fair share of mistakes. Add another musician and the chances go up exponentially. Add a third and the chances of everyone being "on" is just astronomical. Which is why it's just so fine when "the magic" happens. The odds go against it, but every now and then, everything just clicks right and it's there.
Great feeling.
Let's hear more stories. That's why I started the thread, not to read my own story, but to hear others.
Rod
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| Re: The Magic [message #1431 is a reply to message #1428] |
Mon, 15 April 2002 22:32 |
BC
Messages: 583
Registered: March 2000
Location: Kentucky
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Senior Member |
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It is still fresh in my mind....my band experienced a bit of the "Magic" last Saturday. Just a few moments of a 4 hour gig were perfect. I DO live for those mements. After I first experienced it.....it has been my quest for every performance! I think a big part of it comes when each musician is listening to the others and is more a part of something ...instead of concentrating only on their own instrument or part.
That is one theory.....but I really think it is when the rest of the band becomes conscious of my RED 200 with 2x15 cabinet! How is that for bringing Kustom back into this thread!! BC!
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