Unusual Venue for a Gig!

[lbpesq]

My band, ”Dead Enough”, just got hired to play in the domestic terminal at San Francisco International Airport next month!  This is part of a celebration on a history of music in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.  Given that this is the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead, the airport is having a Dead cover band play from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. each Friday for four weeks.   We’ll be playing in the post TSA area - we have to provide pics of licenses or passports in advance.   And the pay is far more than we’ve ever received from our usual bar/small club/restaurant gigs.   Between playing at the Oakland Ballers minor league baseball team’s Grateful Dead night later this month, and the Airport gig in August, it’s going to be an interesting summer.


Bill, tgo

[cozmik_cowboy]

Wow!

I've worked bowling alleys, and a bowling league end-of-season banquet that was in Alvah Roebuck's (that's Roebuck as in "Sears &....") bedroom (the band set up in his dressing room).

I've worked places that actually had chicken wire in front of the stage (and even more that should have).

I have never worked an airport!

I may have to fly out just to catch the show.

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

I played at an unplanned, really long layover at Dulles one time. Wasn't a gig, but made some tips busking. There was no such thing as the TSA yet, but flying anywhere with an upright bass was PITA enough. Hell, I coulda' hitchhiked home from there.

[pauldo]

Sounds like an opportunity for some wide exposure.

Played at a funeral in a church basement.  Eric, our guitarist and guiding light in our first band got leukemia senior year in high school, passed.  His dad insisted we play at the funeral… that was a real hard show to play.

[lbpesq]

Greg, you reminded me of a couple of years ago when I was taking the red eye to New York.   Just after I got to the airport and was waiting on line to drop off my luggage, there was a blackout.   They shut everything down and wouldn’t let anyone through TSA.   I sat down on the floor, took out my Voyage-Air dreadnought (best travel guitar ever!) and started playing.   Wound up with a nice audience, and when the power came back on, the airline people behind the counter thanked me and moved me and my luggage to the front of the line!

Bill, tgo

[StephenR]

Congratulations, sounds like a unique opportunity Bill. Are they going to provide a PA or do you have to bring one? Also curious if they are planning to provide a way, or help, to move your equipment through the airport to the area where you will be performing?

[lbpesq]

They provide two mains, two monitors, four mics, inputs for four more, and a sound person.  Also parking and food.   I expect they will help load in and out.  They will be escorting us as this will be inside the terminal where the gates are.   I certainly don’t want to be riding the airport shuttle with my amp, guitar, and pedalboard on my lap! 

Bill, tgo

[StephenR]

Sounds like you will be well taken care of. I suspect they will help bring your gear in for security reasons. No way you will be riding any airport shuttles!

When Cryptical played AT&T park for the first Jerry Garcia tribute event they wouldn’t let us go anywhere by ourselves inside the stadium, security was really tight. But, we did get to walk across the field with our instrument cases before we played on top of the visiting teams dugout after the Rex Benefit at Triples Alley. All of our equipment was set up for Triples Alley. No help with gear rental to play on the dugout, we had to rent  or borrow stuff ourselves. They helped us load out but not in.

[cozmik_cowboy]

Sounds like you will be well taken care of. I suspect they will help bring your gear in for security reasons. No way you will be riding any airport shuttles!

When Cryptical played AT&T park for the first Jerry Garcia tribute event they wouldn’t let us go anywhere by ourselves inside the stadium, security was really tight. But, we did get to walk across the field with our instrument cases before we played on top of the visiting teams dugout after the Rex Benefit at Triples Alley. All of our equipment was set up for Triples Alley. No help with gear rental to play on the dugout, we had to rent  or borrow stuff ourselves. They helped us load out but not in.

When Big Twist & The Mellow Fellows played the outfield at Wrigley after a Cubs game. we set up on a flatbed traile off the field, and after the rich kids were done playing they pulled it out, ready to go, power unrolling behind it.
Then one of my crew & I had hold Harry Caray's arms so he didn't exceed a 45° angle stumbling up the steps to introduce the band (nasty, vile, half-witted drunken little troll.......)

Peter