Ed of H gigs; 2019

[edwardofhuncote]

I was worried when we started loading-in at this beautiful house at Keswick yesterday... because there were fountains and pools everywhere... and Josh Grice has a freakish gift for ending up in water at gigs. And I know deep in my soul he wanted to, 'cause it was hotter than dad-gummit yesterday in Charlottesville. Luckily for us, it was shady under the 300 year-old oaks they had us staged under. It was a nice day, but very hectic... we had to rush getting from the ceremony location to where the cocktail hour set was to be played, and we couldn't carry all our stuff through where the wedding party was taking pictures. I took along my custom fretless 5-string "Chain-Links", but spent the day playing my old '67 Starfire, for the very simple reason I just didn't have time to switch instruments (!) - we dashed from one spot to the next and played straight through until the wedding party was announced under the reception tent. A shame, because I was really looking forward to some quality time on that fretless bass yesterday. Not that old BA-1407 is anything to be disappointed in by any means. Sometimes I think that thing is perfect for my gigs, and I should just have a serious conversation with Mica about a full-on Alembicized Starfire.

Anyway, the guys were ON yesterday. We had fun, got paid a goodly sum to play some new-grass/jam-band tunes, and still got home before midnight. I call that a win.

[edwardofhuncote]

2/3rds of the way through a 3-night run here...


Harwell-Grice Band played for a wedding rehearsal dinner followed by one fine party in Wirtz, Virginia last night, that ran on close to this morning. Unfortunately, I have to work today, then we're on the 'Harvester' stage primetime tonight at the Franklin Co. Agricultural Fair down in Rocky Mount, playing for the home crowd.

[edwardofhuncote]

Couple pictures of the HGB boys at the Franklin Co. Ag-Fair yesterday evening. It was a great evening weather-wise for playing outdoors... cooling off nice as the sun went down. Plenty of our hometown crowd came out to enjoy the last days of Summer with us.

I had a good time, but a little bittersweet... this was the last gig I was committed to for the season. Until some of these health issues get sorted out, (or hopefully solved altogether) I'm going to have to step back from the gigs. I can handle the easier stuff okay, but the ones that run into 3+ sets are really tough anymore. I just don't feel right about cherry-picking only the easy jobs... it isn't fair to the guys or my subs. We talked about it, and they're cool with whatever length of time I need to get healthy again, the job is mine when I'm ready to return to duty. In turn, I let them know if they're in a jam for a bass player, I'll be there, just may not be at 100%.

I read where a lot of guys are in bands where there's just stress, aggravation and drama... I've never had that with this bunch. I'm going to really miss playing with them again this Fall.


Anyway, here we were in Sontag, Virginia:

[David Houck]

Sorry to hear you're having to step aside from the band.

[edwardofhuncote]

Me too, Dave. I've had such a good time playing music with those guys. I'm hopeful this frustrating season will pass, and I can get back at it. Learning to be a patient patient is harder than it sounds, and explaining to doctors that playing music isn't like collecting stamps... you don't just find another way to spend your time. Things are moving the right direction I think... it's the timetable I'm most unhappy about.

In the meantime, there is one last job on the calendar to play that I had forgotten all about... our neo-oldtyme band, New River Bound hasn't done much this year, just a couple formals and one beans-n-cornbread social, but we are playing a standing gig for Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway this weekend. https://friendsbrp.org/event/roanoke-sunday-night-concerts/ It's supposed to be nice and (finally!) cool this Sunday evening when we take the little amphitheater stage at the Roanoke Mountain Campground. Always a bunch of friends and family there, so I should get some action pictures.

[rv_bass]

Sorry as well to hear you are having to step aside.  Have you ever considered paying sitting down?  I tend to do a combo of standing and sitting while playing. You can get a padded stool with back support about bar stool height.  Might be something to consider.  Although 3+ sets is a lot in one night.  Hope it all works out. 

[edwardofhuncote]

Thanks Rob, I did, and it got me through most of this season. (you can see the Bass Throne in a few pics, usually on one side or the other of my rig)

I probably could go on a while longer by resting between tunes, but as things have slowly gotten worse, it's become harder. As I get tired out, I play poorly, when I play poorly, the attitude becomes an obstacle... think- BEC. (B**** Eating Crackers) It's not unusual for HGB to play 75 or 90 minute sets, and I'm just not up to it anymore. It was a good time to step back and work on this osteoarthritis thing awhile.

*and as if on cue, my rockstar neurosurgeon Dr. Harron called yesterday and scheduled me for an appointment to have a good look at C7-T1. (cause y'know... I dropped four flights and cracked my spine...)

[edwardofhuncote]

Yesterday evening, New River Bound took the little stage for Friends of the Blue Ridge Parkway... such good chemistry between this group. We haven't played much together this year, but right from downbeat it was a perfect lock-in. It felt so good we even took a few chances, trying out new tunes on an audience.

My Custom fretless 5-string was backed up by the old '67 Starfire, and for this more-or-less unplugged ensemble I only needed a half-stack of Bag End boxes... hard to go wrong here!

[David Houck]

   

[edwardofhuncote]

Haven't had anything to post here since stepping away from gigging this past Fall, but I got a call the other day about playing a Christmas program. It's just four songs, and very low-impact... I can sit, stand, whatever I'm comfortable with doing. Thinking I can hold it together long enough, and I'm really feeling like I need to play out somewhere. Plus, two of these are original tunes, that only I would know. The core of this group has been doing a Christmas Concert together for almost 30 years now, and I didn't think it was going to happen this year, but the bandleader got the original members all together for this abbreviated, unrehearsed, somewhat low-key performance.

So tomorrow evening, in this tiny, 120 year-old community church in Lithia, Virginia... we'll give it a go. I'm really looking forward to playing again. Been missing the stage terribly.

[rv_bass]

Sounds like it will be a fun show in a nice venue!

[David Houck]

Enjoy!

[StephenR]

Hard to deny the desire to perform live... have fun!

[edwardofhuncote]

Thanks fellas. I didn't play too badly, and it felt good to play a few Christmas Carols with old friends. For what it's worth, a Series I bass through a Mesa WalkAbout/Scout 15 is a beautiful sound even if you do drop a couple clams. 

Looking ahead to 2020 with uncertainty, but a good attitude for now. Last week, I had a follow-up appointment with my rock-star neurosurgeon. There's going to be another fusion surgery in my future, from C7-T2, (just below the last one, kinda' down between the shoulder blades) but he says I'm not there yet, and it's better to go with alternate treatment rather than to be in there twice. This fusion he says, will have to be done directly on the spine from the back, (can't go through the front like last year) so the recovery/rehab is a little tougher on the 10-scale too. Not necessarily longer time-wise, just more tissue to heal up.

So week after next, I'm being sent to get the first set of ESI's that we hope will get the feeling back in my fingers and get me out of the upper-back spasms keeping me off the music scene. This doctor administering these injections happens to be a musician, and he totally gets it... the whole thing of why this is so important, and perhaps more importantly, he feels some degree of confidence this will work. So I feel really good about the prognosis. Though I gotta' say, I'm not looking forward to those injections too much! 

I'm in a 'wait-n-see' mode for the 2020 gig season, but man... I sure would like to get back out there. 

[David Houck]

Thanks for the update; hoping for the best.