Today I’ll be performing in my guitar duo with Andre Stepanian at the Harrison Hot Springs Movers and Shakers Festival.
My first tasks is to finalize my set list and print a copy for myself and Andre. Then I’ll make sure I have my contract and write cheques for the band. Then it’s time to iron clothes and load up my gear into the truck.
Most music festivals have a sound system however today I’ll have to bring my own. I also bring my own chair as the one the have could be very uncomfortable for playing guitar.
Along with my contract, cheques, clothes, chairs, pa, setlists, and guitar. I’ll bring cd’s, a float, merchandise table, mailing list sign up book, cards, visa machine, etc… There’s a lot! Much more to do than a corporate gig however the big payoff is playing for an audience that wants to listen to music rather than there to network!
Because it’s Friday and the long weekend, the promoter called this morning to advise me to leave early. Traffic getting to Harrison is nuts as everyone is trying to get out of the city. Some of the other bands have arrived an hour late.
Harrison Hot Springs is a 1.5 hour drive from my place so I’ll leave no later than 3pm for a 6pm start.
To get to Harrison I took all the back roads as Hwy 1 was stop and go from 152nd to Chilliwack. The drive was beautiful along the old No.7 Hwy on the north side of the Fraser river between Mission and Aggassi.
I arrived at Harrison at 4:30pm with lots of time to relax and get set up. I even had my own VIP parking spot at the plaza.
I began my performance with Andre at 6pm and we played until 6:45pm. It was a beautiful sunny September evening and we had a great turn out. We played a couple of encore pieces then hung out with everyone for a while. After I packed up the gear it was time to head home.
Then it was time to join a few friends and drive into downtown Vancouver to listen to Jimmy D’Lane who was playing at the Yale. Believe it or not, I’ve been living in Vancouver all my life and it’s my first time at Yale.
The old Yale is a very popular blues venue here in Vancouver and if you haven’t heard of Jimmy D’Lane you just have check him out. Jimmy is like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton and Mark Knofler all rolled into a blues guitar vocal machine power house! I’m so fortunate to have Jimmy as a friend and to be able to hang out and jam with him from time to time.
