Easiest Gig Ever

Ward Skinner · From: Mission, TX * R.I.P.

Last night I played a Quinceanera (a hispanic celebration of a girl's 15th birthday) with a band called Vaquero in Harlingen, TX. What an experience, and the easiest $$ ever.

Got a call last weekend asking if I could play with them, along with a fiddle player they were adding for the night. Said they played some country and lots of Tejano music. Turns out they were a pure Tejano band but now adding country to play more venues.

Now I've only been playing for 2 1/2 years and have only played with one band, and was a bit hesitant at taking it. No idea of what they expected, just a list of songs that I had 2 days to learn since I was out of town when they called. Turns out we had recently played in Harlingen, one of the band members were there and heard us play. I took that as a compliment and took the gig not knowing what to expect.

As 8 o'clock rolled around, we took our places. As introductions of the party members were being made, they asked me to play something slow and low as they did their thing. I started it off and the fiddle player and I switched off playing for a good 10 minutes. Turns out that was the most playing we were going to do for the night.

Band starts off with Tejano, their songs lasted a good 10-15 minutes each. We played about 60/40 Tejano/Country, but time wise was probably near 90/10. The fiddle player and I obviously sat idle for a majority of the time, only playing country. I bet we didn't even play 10 songs for the entire night. And got payed extremely well.

And it turns it they were damned good, had a bajo and accordion and terrific vocals and harmonies. I'm sure I would do it again, but the sitting idle was wearing on me the later it got, I was getting near asleep at the steel. A fun and unique experience.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Ward,
Sounds like fun. Have you tried doubling the accordian parts or beefing up the bajo parts yet ? There has got to be some cool stuff to play along with the band in the non country parts.
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Bob

Ward Skinner · From: Mission, TX * R.I.P.

Bob - it was a blast. No, I didn't try to add anything - they didn't ask and I had no clue. And their songs would stop and start often, a lot of changing rhythms so I would have just gotten in the way. The only song I knew, and one of my favorites, is La Mucura, most would probably know it from the Texas Tornados. And this band did the best job on it I've ever heard.

Another cool thing is the drummer never stopped for more than a few seconds. When a song ended he would start a beat until the next song started. I'm used to finishing a song and then hearing "what do you want to play" or "I don't want to play that". Smile

And it's amazing how slow time goes when you're not playing.

Mike Poholsky · From: Kansas, USA

One of my favorite uses of the Volume Pedal (other than silencing mistakes lol) is being able to easily play at a low volume level, when your playing in a unfamiliar situation. Assuming your not being miked and you are close to your amp. I would use a opportunity like that to experiment a little. Different chord inversions, added chord tones, pedal and KLVR combos up and down the neck. Then if you find some thing that works, turn it up some! I like those situations where there is no preconceived idea of what the steel "SHOULD" be doing. Sounds like a fun gig to me. If all else fails DANCE!
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FX to Taste

Ward Skinner · From: Mission, TX * R.I.P.

Hey Mike, if I danced to some of that they would have to carry me out on a stretcher. One dance was all guys hopping around on one foot while twisting the other foot around in the air - for too long of a time. I got tired just watching that.

There was no experimenting to be done, I was in the system via a line out. These guys were extremely professional, they wanted a soft tune playing in the background but initially I didn't know that - he just asked me to play a slow intro in C. I didn't know what he meant because I didn't think the band was ready. Intro for what? Then he told me to play something soft in the background, so I did. Guess I should have anticipated the fiddle would play too, had I known that I would have suggested changing keys. But the fiddler was really good and it turned out really nice.

I guess I was still on cloud 9 when I started this, my first experience with a different band and they were great. I was sitting there for a good while thinking, damn, they asked me to play with them? I always expected if/when I played with a different band I would at least know them, or be familiar with their material. But I walked in stone cold not knowing anyone or anything.

And I could see these guys must play a lot of quinceaneras, they were real pros, much more to it than just playing music. And the celebrating party also had hired a DJ, he played before and during the break. Quite a bit of money spent on these functions year round. For country music in these parts, the winter is the busy season as there is a big influx of winter visitors from Nov-April. Lots of dances at Legions, RV parks, places like Pepe's on the River. So most country players take a break this time of year, but this band said they had been really busy the last few months. It hit home how lucrative it can be.

Jody Cameron · From: Angleton, TX,, USA

Sounds fun, Ward! Glad you are out picking. jc

Ward Skinner · From: Mission, TX * R.I.P.

Thanks Jody. I was in your neck of the woods the last weekend, my oldest daughter Somer was married Sunday, June 1 on the beach in Galveston. Too bad I didn't have more time or I would have paid you a visit.

Don Sowersby · From: New Braunfels, TX

Ward,

I'm glad you had fun. Call me sometime my phone crashed and I lost your number (again).

Don

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

A band I know that play mostly partys,with keyboards,drums.bass,and guitar called me one and said they had a party booked that had a Hawaiian theme,[a lot of people just assume if you play steel,you can play Hawaiian music]I'm NOT a Hawaiian player,But over the years had learned a FEW tunes that resembled it,such as Harbor Lights,Beyond The Reef,Wedding Song,Redsails In the Sunset,Sweet Leilani,etc,Some of the tunes they did,I just made Some Hawaiian noises,Had a good time,faked my way through it and made them think I could play Hawaiian music,They fed me and paid me,Turned out pretty good,sometime you will try anything to make a few bucks.DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Ward Skinner · From: Mission, TX * R.I.P.

Big Don, will do. Charles that sounds like a great time, bet you had some roasted pig.

Only bummer of the night was a speeding ticket on the way home. I had only been on the expressway for a few miles when I saw the dreaded DPS lights in my rear view. Got a ticket for doing 70 in a 55 mph construction zone with no workers present. I took the ticket, folded it and put it in the visor. Thought I would give a call to a DPS friend of mine who maybe could help me with it. Got up the next morning, went out to the car and got the ticket. When I opened it I knew I was sunk, it was a computer generated ticket. Never seen one before, I hear it is a brand new deal. I'm sure it was already in the system before I even drove off. What's this world coming to when you can't even fix a ticket anymore? TX residents beware.

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