Richard Noggin's Pub - October 17, 18, Portsmouth, Ohio

 
Hi everybody, this is Gina. 

The past week leading up to our weekend gig at Noggins was pretty busy and eventful.  We're sending out press kits and CD's to radio, newspapers and our friends and contacts all over the US to get the word out about "She Wants to Rock".  The response has been great and people are calling their favorite radio stations to request the song.  Thanks to everyone for your support - things are going great.  The band got together for practice on Thursday and Larry's been working on a final mix of "Sweet Summer Nights", one of the cuts on our album due out probably in January, called "Curves".  It's sounding pretty good.  Just 4 more songs to go and it will be ready.
 
IWe found a review of our single printed in this month's Graffitti Magazine in the local reviews section.  (Click on www.grafwv.com and search for local reviews to read the review).   Up next month, an article in the Ashland Independent newspaper sometime in November, radio airplay on XM satellite radio and more reviews on the internet, anything that will get the word out about the band.  Thanks to my childhood friend, Troy, we will have our CD single "She Wants to Rock" on 50+ jukeboxes in restaurants and clubs from Portsmouth to Huntington.  Yeah!!! 
 
So, you are up-to-date for the week and ready for Friday's events.  We loaded in to the club at 1:00 pm.  Set up the gear and sound checked then went back home to eat dinner and get ready for the show.  When we returned to the club at 9:30 pm there were a lot of Convertible Blondes cool fans filling up the tables and getting the party started on their own.  We hit the stage at 10:00 pm for the first show and Brian had it sounding great - we were pumped up.  Then, halfway into the second song, our brand new month-old spotlight blew!  I looked back and Darrell was moving pretty fast to get a new cord on it or try a new breaker, anything to get it fired up again.  Darrell moves pretty fast for a guy who's building a new house and holding down 2 jobs all at the same time!
 
The spotlight problem wasn't on my mind for long because all of a sudden my Korg Triton keyboard started shorting out.  It was making a disgusting buzzing sound and the level kept dropping and I know it had to be driving Bub crazy because he's trying to sing and my keyboard amp is right in his ear sounding like the worst AM radio reception you've ever heard.  But he's such a great guy, I gave him my best "please forgive me and my keyboard" look and he just smiles and keeps on singing.  So, with all the distractions we get through the first show and take a break to re-group.  My friend Molly is there and she says to me, "what's wrong? you look like something's bothering you".  It's times like the above that you smile (if possible) and say "everyting's gonna be alright" - Bob Marley - over and over and over again.  :)
 
The guys gather around my keyboard and with the greatest invention known to mankind, put a temporary fix on the keyboard with duct tape.  Really, duct tape is all you need to survive in the world.  If I were ever on my favorite TV show Survivor, that would be my one personal item to bring.  (Go Rupert!)  Then they turn their attention to the spotlight and determine it has blown a bulb along with a breaker.  Stay tuned, more on the renegade spotlight and bulb coming below during Saturday's events.  We climb back up on stage and continue with the show.  During the night we learned that Matt and April were there to celebrate their last night of freedom before getting married and we sang an appropriate song for them, Creed's "Hold Me Now (I'm six feet from the edge...").  Justin from Minford was there and chatted with us.  And Don Gullett, the host of Noggin's Monday Night Girls-On-Trampolines-Man Show came up on stage to tell everyone about Monday nights at Noggins, which sounds pretty cool to me.
Check it out for youself.
 
The long day/night ends and we drive home to sleep til noon and be ready for Saturday night.  Except for T-Bone who was up with the chickens at 11:00 am.
 
Saturday starts out with Larry calling around to find a spotlight bulb at Night Time Music in Milton, WV, and Bub heading out to pick it up.  We later learn that Bub's truck went berserk, overheated and he almost didn't make it out of Milton.  Later on, we all make it safely to the club on Saturday night and the place is already full!  THANK YOU to all our fans who traveled from Boston, Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland, Beaver, Jackson, Ashland and the Portsmouth area to have fun with us at Noggins.  From the opening song the fans were screaming and rockin' out with the band.  There is no greater feeling in the world than hearing everyone singing along at the top of their voices.  :)  Not to be overly dramatic, but, it's what I live for.
 
There were alot of bands and musicians in the club Saturday night.  Portsmouth had held an Unsigned Band Contest on Court St. earlier in the day and the winners were fellow rockers The Aaron Miller Band.  They won $3,500 dollars in cash and prizes - Congratulations Guys!  Naturally, they were there to celebrate and having a good time doing it.  Also, Larry knows the guys in South Shore, KY, rock band Suffer and they stopped in to check out the band and party with us, too.  While on stage, we mentioned the fact that our region has some of the best unsigned bands around and all the musicians have been working hard to gain some long overdue and well deserved attention.  A & R departments and entertainment companies are starting to take note.  There is definitely a Rock-n-Roll revival going on in our region.
 
Some highlights of the packed show on Saturday night include, Aaron Miller's version of Creed, little Carrie shaking her booty on stage and who could forget the guys from Dayton screaming "Barracuda" back to me.  :)  Of course one of the highlights for the band was the cheering and screaming we heard after playing our original songs.  It still amazes me when people sing the words to our own songs.  I think our fans are the best in the world.  We quit playing at 2:00 am and packed up the show into Mobizzle Dizzle, made plans for the coming week and headed home to our cozy beds.  All in all, Saturday night was one of the best shows we have played and it left us all feeling pretty warm and fuzzy.  Remember, the more you give to the band during the show the better show you are gonna get.  The more you scream, the more we will knock ourselves out for you.  If you were there, you know what I'm talking about.  It was a great gig!
 
On behalf of the whole band I want to personally thank the staff at Noggins.  Cheryl Mershon is the manager of Noggins and books all the entertainment.  She is one of the biggest Live Music fans you will find anywhere.  She really does her homework and knows what her people want and then goes out and gets some of the best bands you are gonna see in the Tri-State area.  The club is building a great reputation for entertainment and a lot of people are coming from larger cities because of the buzz.  Road bands are making Noggin's a scheduled stop and the crowds are really responsive to live music.  The club is expanding into the building next door and sometime next month will debut a new stage area and more seating.  After more years playing music on the road than I want to admit to, I will say that Noggins is a special place with alot of special people hanging out there.  I can't wait until next month. 
 
Next Noggins show:  Thanksgiving Weekend, Friday & Saturday, November 28 & 29.
 
Hope everyone has a good week - see you next time,
your friend,
Gina
ps thanks for the positive feedback on the pigtails...