July 2, 2024 - 8pm
This email is going to the entire Paper Bag email universe - musicians, support staff, significant others and the Paper Bag audience
Paper Bag #45 - the Glad Bag - music that makes us happy
(or sometimes ... songs that make us happy)
Whoa,
This was a good one. It began in January and February with the first meetings of the Executive Board. Annually, the primary task of the first 2 meetings of the Exec Board is to come up with a suitable theme. Not as easy as it sounds. We prefer when the word bag appears in a natural setting: Brown Bag, Doggy Bag, School Bag, Doctor Bag, Dirt Bag etc. A cool name, however, is not enough. The theme needs to suggest a broad array of songs that fit the theme, and also are appropriate for the Bag demographic (you folks).
The Glad Bag as a Paper Bag theme is a stroke of virtuosity. It was first suggested by Mr. Don Larsen, the Executive Board member known to us as The College of Musical Knowledge. By design, the Bag theme allows us to shine our light on different material. Each year we find a unique set of songs, all with a connection to the theme, however tenuous. The stated goal of the Executive Board is to attempt to limit the song list to 40 songs, expecting to go over by a few as the show gets closer. The Glad Bag rewarded us with 60 songs on the list. We like to fool ourselves by grouping 4 Beatles songs into one slot on the list, or giving Tony Bennett a 2 song segue, but the musicians on stage learned over 60 songs for this single performance.
The Glad Bag provided us with the most perfect theme in our storied history. It was easy to get to 60 songs. Everywhere we turned another happy song was staring us in the face. The entire Paper Bag experience - from the first meeting in January to the final note of the whole tone scale (our traditional ending) - everything steered us toward one thing - fun. Fun was definitely had ... big fun.
Even our mistakes made on stage during the performance are met with a fun response by the audience. Our musicians inhabit a continuum, from highly skilled players who tour the world in well known bands - to highly skilled players who tour our well regarded, local, Long Island music scene - to skilled players who have never played professionally, but are motivated to learn their instrument. Every musician on stage, no matter their proficiency, enjoys the support of all others. There is nary a discouraging word passed among our Bag musicians. Well, with one possible exception. See below.
In a Facebook post on Bag Lag Day, June 26, my pal John Blenn, who has considerable music journalism chops, described Paper Bag #45 as “under-rehearsed yet startlingly-precise.” My method for conducting the Bag Band is informed by both halves of that accurate assessment.
For most of the 74 Bag musicians, proper woodshedding is done by oneself, probably using a YouTube playlist curated by Johnny Cola. The section leaders for Guitar, Keyboard, Harp, Horns, Bass & Percussion assign parts and the players prepare at home. The first time most of us play together is at the sound check/rehearsal on the day before the show. The Downwind Horns do their woodshedding at home and then hold a proper rehearsal the week before show day.
The Vocal Section, however, was far from under-rehearsed. Kristin Seely and Mark Bonder (KBond) presided over an ambitious rehearsal schedule. The Vocal Section presented to the band as a fully formed, tightly knit ensemble wherein 20 or so musicians delivered 60 songs featuring excellent harmonies. The Bag songs near the end of the list are traditionally also at the end of the preparation list. Not so this year. The audience and the rest of the band were treated to uniformly excellent vocals throughout our 6 hours on stage. Every song, top to bottom, was properly prepared. For vocalists, who can sing only one note at a time, the only way for them to accurately sing in harmony as a section during the show, is to practice as a section. They clearly did so.
The "under-rehearsed" portion of Mr. Blenn's assessment refers not to the individual, or sectional preparation done by the musicians, but to the part where we all appear on stage and play together as a 70 piece rock band. Tell any rational person about our show, where 70 rock musicians play an annual 6 hour, 60 song show with only a single 4 hour, 35 song rehearsal. In their head, they know that chaos reigns on our stage. Everybody know that this cannot work. They chuckle. Instead ...
"Startlingly-precise" were Mr. Blenn's next words. Now we get back to my Paper Bag conducting method. And to the possibility of discouraging words. My primary responsibility on stage during the performance, far more important than anything else I do for the Bag, is to assist the band in all landing together on the ONE for every phrase of music ... for every song of the night.
Polecat & the Downwind Dance Band - featuring Tony Rome & his Cheese Calzones (the proper name of our band) does not shy away from difficult music. We embrace it. In my quest to assist every musician on stage to hear, know and understand where the beginning of each and every phrase of music begins, I sometimes use ... um ... unconventional methods. During the Bag band's brief rehearsal time on stage I am not really operating in real time, the here and now. Instead, I am in Middle School Band conductor mode, except that my Bag musicians are not 12 years old and they play really, really well. I, however, am still 12 years old. I use every trick I have to coddle and coach them into place. This year, I had a rough time accomplishing my primary task.
|
The old adage about being dragged “kicking and screaming” was in play. But I was literally kicking and screaming. (n.b. by literally, I mean exactly that. I do not mean figuratively) I threw my 72 year old body and 12 year old mind to the ground and kicked and screamed. For extra luck, I did this in both the prone and supine positions. Like magic - teacher joy struck!! I got up, dusted myself off, and we went on to revel in a highly successful rehearsal. Then came showtime ...
With all the prep I did for Bag #45, I never once reviewed the lyrics to my 2 songs that we use as a sound check for the tech people. Gives them a chance to settle in before the real singing begins. I've been singing these two songs for decades. I don't need to practice. Didn't even think about it until, you know. Of course, at the show I bamboozled the lyrics to both songs. Then the real singing and playing started. The FEELING built up slowly and steadily
One Fine Morning - strong guitar introduction - Joe Scollo sings - very nice ... "come with me baby and we'll" and then I hear it - "FLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"
cue goosebumps
Good Vibrations - 8 part vocal harmony that is nailed, absolutely nailed 100% ------- yes!
Situation - Wow ... Just wow! Naomi kicking some ass - out of this world work by guitars, keys, bass & drums - Patrick Cummings channeling Jeff Beck - I would like to stand on a stage and have these people play this song live to me every day of my life from now on.
I was gone from the planet for the entire 6 hours. I rarely left the stage except for a few very brief moments to look at the band from the house. I lived in my spot there in front of the drums sets, smiling at Scotty Kistenberger. I danced (feet firmly placed, knees bending in time to the music - you know, the bass player dance). I listened, I threw out cues, I conducted. I wandered the stage spreading joy. It was great. I mostly wasn’t needed by the musicians.
All By Myself - You were there. You heard it. Tammi Wolfe-Flyntz and super rookie Mr. Matthew Searing. Whoa
The music just kept getting better and better. While we did enjoy a few “audience boos the band” moments, they were for minor transgressions. I included these because the audience needed the practice. Not once did we crash and burn. We powered through our small mistakes, like a good, experienced rock band should. This continued all the way through the end of the night with ...
Shout - last song before the WheeL at the bottom of the set list. Quality performances from every section, no drop off into the usual end-of-night sloppiness. Jon Franklin finishes the night strong.
As the audience filed onto the stage for their annual end of night sing-a-long I stood on my black security box and scanned the stage. There you were, the late nighters. It would be a mistake to think that I don't notice who is up there for the Wheel and the Audience Sings portion of the night. I did not feel tired. I did not feel drained. I was ready to do it all over again. The audience sang Twist & Shout and Honky Tonk Woman and a few more chestnuts - I called for a few E to Bb tritones and we played our whole tone scale. Before we hit the final E, I instructed the band to play the loudest E they possibly could. They happily complied. I cued the final note and as is my custom, I left the stage immediately without cutting the band off. I sat over by Leah, the band's bartender, under the indoor tent and threw back a shot. It took a few minutes, but finally someone on stage called for a cut off and Paper Bag #45 had ended.
There is no way for me to overstate how impressed I am with the performance we put on this year. At a time in our Bag-lives, when we should be cruising in for a smooth landing after a lifetime of very cool and unique performances, we are instead getting better, year by year. I have always posited that we will continue playing the Paper Bag until either the band or the audience stops showing up. No sign of either of those yet.
This show is what my friends and I do on our night off.
Mission accomplished.
Next year - June 24, 2025 - 8pm at Mulcahy’s in Wantagh -
Paper Bag #46 - theme to be determined.
You are all booked. See you there.
Your pal
Mike
|
