It’s not every day an 8-year old stands on the street corner in Johnson City with a sign that reads, “Honk if you love silly people!” It was a decorative poster board with plenty of colored markers and flowers and butterflies. I laughed and blew my horn and realized this was the right place for CLEAR tonight at Halo.
That was the scene at the Buffalo and Main intersection in downtown Johnson City Friday night. Kind of cute really and I should have barged in for a photo, but the little lady’s mom was 30 yards away smiling as most everyone honked their horn along the way.
It was a busy night Friday too – the start of the Memorial Day weekend. I took a few minutes to drive around before straddling the the curve at Halo to unload my Jeep with all my keyboards. Looking east down Main though, it was clear there was plenty of entertainment in town tonight. There were bands unloading vans with amplifiers and speakers all down Main Street. Gatsby’s had a crew of players unpacking a rental van on the street and two storefronts down, A Hideway was already jacked in and a hard and fast pulse was alive on the end of the street….@ 7.00 pm.
There were some cool new band posters on the window of the entrance to Halo. The sole outside window was just about covered with posters for ‘Shake It Like a Cave Man’ and “Mambria Groove.” These are a couple of new jam bands from Asheville making their way on to the scene and Hot Carl had their posters up too for a performance in a couple of weeks. This is the place they love to call home and it’s a great gig to play a show. Not a lot of money, but always worth the pleasure.
Going back outside for my gear, I saw Lance working his way around the street corner with his bass rig. He was the first person on hand and we had most of gear inside the front of the bar by the time Jared arrived. The only snag – Leah (one of the owners) wanted the band on the patio tonight and that meant moving everything down the long passageways in Halo to the outdoor patio in the back. That was kind of a bummer because it’s hard to snake a lot of speakers and gear down the narrow hallway which passed the rest rooms and the kitchen and three steps down into a sloping concrete pad that worked it’s way back to the street for some 50 yards.
It wasn’t long though before we had everything setup and we were meeting new friends. A couple of players from the Corn Liquor Pickers were listening tonight as well as Vanessa Pearson. We had a few moments to talk at length about her performance at the Down Home a few weeks and I especially was interested in complimenting her about the Myspace photos. She explained those were some experiments with a new songwriter she’s working with, but the subject matter is stunning indeed.
Andrew Taylor was back at Halo tonight too and he was determined to buy me a “car-bomb.” At first, I had no idea what he was talking about, but a few weeks ago, I shared some Irish Whiskey with him on Saint Patty’s day. He told me about the bomb then – Irish Whiskey in a shot glass with a glass of Guinness. You drop the shot in the glass, the two froth together into a large gulp that tastes like…chocolate milk. Who would have guessed it? $16.00
Angie, Sandy and Seth were some of the first of the gang to show at Halo and ready to continue with another episode of social hedonism and it wasn’t long before they were introducing me to a couple of new beauties and we shared a few moments before the show. Heather and her friends were with us and the night was warm and the stars were glimmering above the brick walls that framed the sky.
There was something strange happening on Main Street. When I went outside to grab a cigar, there were lots of old haggard men on the street asking for money. Johnson City has one of the more noticeable pan-handler communities in the region (it’s not a whole lot really in contrast to mega-cities), and they take their place in the dark store fronts in this part of downtown. I recall seeing about 5 patrol cars too and some confusion in the air as the police evidently chased someone down the street on foot.
Everyone could feel the vibe. It was a bit strange and maybe that’s why we had sort of timid start, but as we struck up the band and settle into the new set list, things started to get a little loose – we like it like that. By the second set, it was clear that something different is happening with the band’s sound.
For me, it’s a dose of new music from some great Hammond organ players from Knoxville’s Garage Deluxe, Galactica and The Meters. This new fusion of screaming organs and the funky vibe from the guys in this band is starting to culture an exciting new sound for CLEAR and in many ways we seem to be finding our voice.
Earlier in the day, I finally came up with a different way to setup my keyboards with three tiers. The piano, the Hammond, the Nord all in one rack. For several weeks, I’d cut the rig to two keyboards, but was glad to have my full rig in one setup. More importantly though, I had been listening to Knoxville-based Garage Deluxe and loved the way this guy’s Hammond sounds on record and now clearly decided, I’ve been playing that instrument way to timid. So this evening Jared set up the sound right and the tones were strong and the guy up front was all I needed when he asked me to “turn up those keys!”
During the second set, Jared played some Galactica and other funk based songs on CD. Those tunes setup an energy that I really enjoyed too and the guys did too because we had pushed away the restraints and settled into a good show.
Our gig this night is part two of a three week adventure across the Tri-Cities and what appealed to me most (followed up from last weeks gig in Damascus) is the special, creative chemistry surfacing with this band as we move own. Oh yes – silly people sometimes too, but talented all the same and I couldn’t be more thrilled as a player.
If your lead singer is not happy – nobody is. That’s a tough mantle to wear, but Jared Bentley is dedicated. He’s like a brother too. Always there to help and when he’s on the mike, it really doesn’t matter where his heads at – his music is always at the top of his list of talents.
Jared’s got one of those distinctive baritone voices and many people still stop him to say, “you know, you would really be a great disc jockey.” They’re right too and he still gets noticed as the former host for the local cable show, “So You Think You Know Sports.” That show has been off cable for some time now, but his strength on camera and on the mike is eclipsed by his character and his singing voice is a unbridled white-soul that has intrigued me since I first heard him several years ago with the band Yukon.
Since then, I’ve especially enjoyed backing him up and inspired by his passion and ability to entertain. He’s completely off the wall sometimes, but his talent and distinction on stage are unforgettable, but there are other interesting creatures in this act too. I’m sort of the odd man out because CLEAR has their own story that began some 15 years ago now when Jared, Greg, Lance and Willie played together the first time around.
How I got here I owe in large part to Greg Smith. I met him working with Reagan Boggs band, performed a bit with his acoustic act with Richard Houser and sat and listen to him work with Blue Rapture several times too. There are few musicians in this region more committed to their music too. His intensity was obvious tonight – earlier in the day, he played a gig with Reagan in Roanoke at 7.00, finished the gig and drove to Johnson City by 10.00 pm to play for fifty bucks!
Greg is a chameleon and a talented guitarist. As a player, his style is incredibly versatile and I’m never certain what I’ll hear from his “bag-o-tricks.” From acoustic to electric, slide to effects, he seems to get better with each gig. Although he’s spread thing sometimes, I know his heart with this band and it’s a real pleasure to work with him.
For the past several weeks, I’ve been carried away with the Jack Kerouac novel “On the Road” and I was on a ramble earlier in the night about the dialogue Dean Moriarty shares with Sal about an alto soloist blowing a bebop solo on the streets of San Francisco. The short of that story is how the sax man had “IT.” That special quality in a solo or performance where an audience has a clear observation of something special. It’s mesmorizing for a listener and gratifying as a performer to reach this edge as a musician and we continually talk about this state and try to continue to create more attentive and fluid solos, but ultimately, the audience is the judge of “IT.”
Now that’s a lot of music-speak to describe a thrill we share, but tonight Greg came closer than anyone. There was a moment in the second set when his solo work brought the small crowd to a moment of gratification that noone else attracted. Maybe next time…
When Heather arrived at Halo, one of the first things she did was to kiss her husband. I’m a bit envious too because they seem to have a great relationship after several years and they still smile at each other like teenagers. I’ve known them for about a year and this seems to be not only genuine, but the basis for a lifelong romance.
Maybe that’s what gives Lance that stable foundation and confidence when he performs? He’s slow to speak sometimes, but he listens intently and always serves up a creative dish with his bass. He’s a great singer too giving Jared a steady harmony behind lots of our songs and like Jared , he’s got a great sense of humor. I’m still amused about our conversation about the trash-can “spooge” that he was talking about when we were setting up the stage tonight. He’s the perfect compliment for Willie and our rhythm section. Matter of fact, they’re like twin sons of different mothers.
Willie Simpson is the energy behind CLEAR and his place on the drums gives the band the inertia to move along with our jam-band white boy funk. As a police officer, Willie is already in excellent shape and has plenty of stamina to keep the band rockin’ , but tonight I was even more impressed by his street-level joy he exudes when he plays. It’s contagious too!
Tonight, the homeless people keep hanging out behind Willie during both of our sets. The outside patio is right next to the gate on the back of the street and at one time there were more than a handful of night travelers who were into the show and said more than once to Willie – “You guys are tight! Tight I tell you…tight!!!”
Collectively, the band is starting to gain momentum with a live sound that is unpredictable. Jared is stronger as a performer, on guitar, on the mike and the songs seem to continue to culture as our originals and special arrangements of cover songs are building if anything a volatile set of music that is high-energy and guaranteed to keep you awake. Besides that, we’re having a hell of a good time!
Our gig was over around 2am (last call) at Halo and for the most part, it was a decent crowd, but nothing to brag about like last week. This was a Friday night on the holiday weekend and most of the students had a long weekend, but I thought the gig continues to expose some of the great things about this band and our music.
For me, I’ve got my rig setup at home and ready for another week of practicing. I’ve got those screaming Hammond organ sounds in my mind and have immersed myself in the Galactic discography for a while to learn a lesson or two and I can’t wait to try again this Friday night in Bristol as CLEAR descends upon Fast Lane at Exit 7 in Bristol, VA. Should be another good time too and I’m looking forward to the tales.