Being in a band is fun! The high you get from doing a good show and having people enjoy you is the ultimate drug. The more you do, the more you want to do! More gigs! More people to come see you! More fun!

Thank goodness for the Internet. A few keystrokes, and BLAM! A whole bunch of people know about your next gig. No more printed, labeling and sending post cards. Plus, Social Networks like Facebook and even the “8-Track of the Internet”, MySpace add an air of familiarity to the impersonal nature of on-line connections.

The problem is, how do you appear interesting enough to compel people to care even a little bit, and not go overboard to where you turn people off? I struggle with these concepts when promoting gigs, like KT & the Wicked Gents playing Armando’s in Martinez, Thursday February 4th from 8 to 10PM! I post on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, hit as couple of music related forums, and of course use my personal website, www.kennanshaw.com and try to make sure as many people as possible know about what I’m up to. These little diatribes keep the whole things from just being “Electronic Flyering.”

So I try to be interesting and funny and entertaining. Lately I’m trying to promote friends and their gigs a little more, and highlight people and music that I respect and enjoy. Maybe not be so “me me me”.

Yesterday on MySpace, I deleted two “Friends”. Between the two of them, my entire “Bulletins” section was full with posts that seemed existed purely for the sake of seeing their own names online. I know, I know; but MySpace is still free and doesn’t demand much of my time to do promotion. On Facebook, the entire “Become a Fan Of…” has become too easily abused. I don’t mind being your Internet “Friend”, but I’m not inclined to count myself as a Fan if I’ve never heard you. Hitting the “Ignore” button is easy enough the first couple of times, but when you take that as reason to re-send the “Suggestion”, it almost seems like a personal affront! Somewhere, the number of Facebook Fans you have might be currency, but come on; at best, it’s play money.

So I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. My plan is to tell you where I am, what I’m up to, and occasionally really push a gig that might slip through the cracks. I hope you like it. I’m trying to stay one step ahead of the Ignore, Unfollow, and Delete Friend buttons!

And come see KT & the Wicked Gents TONIGHT (2/4, 8 to 10) at Armando’s!

   Lucky you, California! Next Tuesday, the 9th of February, whether you live in Southern California, or up here in the North, you have an opportunity to go out and see some world class music!

   In Los Angeles, fans of amazing guitar playing are in for a true double bill treat; Monte Montgomery and Danny Click are playing at The Mint at 6010 West Pico Boulevard. I saw Monte play when we shared a bill a couple of years ago in Austin. He completely blew me away, and it took a while to get my jaw off the ground…and everybody knows how jaded I am when it comes to guitar players. Speaking of which, I’ve spent some time playing behind Danny Click in four different countries, and I consider him the best guitarist I’ve ever played with. If you’re a guitarist, or just a fan, don’t miss this show!

   Meanwhile, here in the Bay Area, it’s a great opportunity to get a look at the local Zydeco scene, when The Zydeco Flames take the stage at 8:30 at Ashkenaz, on San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley. Zydeco dancing and music are kind of a hidden gem here, and there’s no one who does it better than the Flames. This band is a “Musicians musicians” type of band, and the dance floor will be full from the first downbeat. Get there early and take a dance lesson before the band starts!

   In the meantime, before we get to Tuesday the 9th, you have three distinctly different opportunities to come see me play!

   Thursday the 4th marks the return of KT & the Wicked Gents to Armando’s. Kathy Tejcka, Kelly Back, Jan Jackson and myself get bluesy, and hard funky from 8 to 10.

   Saturday the 6th, I’ll be at Bases Loaded in Antioch with The Billy Martini Show. Old songs in a new venue!

   Monday the 8th is the next Good Stuff Guitars Blues Jam, at, of course, Armando’s in Martinez. Come down to play, or just hang, and get you ready for Tuesday’s big Guitar, or Zydeco show!

   The Grammys are on television this Sunday night. They call themselves “Music’s Biggest Night!” Most musicians I know would just as soon refer to it as “Our country’s musical nightmare”, or perhaps worse. Let’s review, shall we?

1976. The Best Pop Vocal Group nominees for this year include Queen for “Bohemian Rhapsody” - one of the most daring and innovative songs in the history of popular music, which will in subsequent years be voted best song ever in numerous polls. However, the award goes to Chicago for the saccharine and dull “If You Leave Me Now”.

2009. What better way to honor the amazing career and genius talent of Stevie Wonder than to surround him with Disney “abstinence rockers” the Jonas Brothers, and let them butcher one of his biggest hits. Rumor is that this year the Grammys are digging up the grave of Beethoven, and letting Lady Gaga hump his skeletal corpse while lip syncing “Poker Face” over a sample of the Fifth Symphony.

1992. Michael Bolton squeaks his way through “When A Man Loves A Woman”. Instead of hanging him by his uvula in the center of Leighton, Alabama, the birthplace of Percy Sledge, he’s given an award for Best Pop Vocal Performance.

1990. Milli Vanilli.

   I could continue, but frankly, I don’t have the stomach for it. About every five years I work up the nerve to watch the show, and I always, always regret it. No wait…’regret’ isn’t quite descriptive enough; more like “deeply disturbed that I’m a few hours closer to death and ashamed by how I’ve spent my time on the planet.”

   Fortunately, this year I have something else to do this Sunday night while banality pulls its arm out of its socket, patting itself on the back. The Brothers Goldman are playing at The Boom Boom Room! No red carpet, no little statues, just real musicians, playing real music. There will be guests, and sitting in, and tons of fun, and it will be FUNKY. Deeply funky.

   The great thing is, I can offer YOU this same respite from the abyss of modern popular culture. You too can bask in the glory that is LIVE MUSIC, and all the trappings there of! And it’s FREE! No cover charge! So, save yourself! Come see me! Don’t make me play the whole “Metallica/Jethro Tull” card.

The Brothers Goldman
The Boom Boom Room
1601 Fillmore St., SF
Sunday, 9:30 till whenever.

   Time to spill the beans, and come clean. This weekend I start my new gig! I’ll be playing with the one and only Candye Kane!

   Candye is well known to blues fans all over the world, and her band, featuring Laura Chavez on guitar and Evan Caleb on drums can flat out tear it up. I’m thrilled with this opportunity, and look forward to adding what I can to an already fantastic live show. The prospects of going on the road with these people, and playing this music, sounds like more fun than anyone should have!

   Special thanks to Deb Lubin for recommending me.

   Please check out Candye’s website; http://candyekane.com/. There’s a ton of stuff, like Tour Dates, and of course Candye’s biography and lots of music! Be sure to come out to a show and say ‘Howdy’!

   This Saturday I’m playing with the fabulous Billy Martini Show 70’s Tribute at the Pleasanton Hotel. I love playing with these guys because they understand the whole ‘fun’ thing! A lot of classics, a few ‘one-hit-wonders’, and some really groovy clothes! The fun starts at 8:30.

   Now I’m going to commit something of a sin. This is the internet, after all, and I’m a self promoting musician. I have Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and my own web site and mailing list, all focused on putting a little more “me” in you and your friends lives. In fact, it is all about me. Me me me. Frankly, it’s kind of the Rule. That’s why this next part is so weird; pay attention…

   I’m working of course, and you should come see me, but if I wasn’t working, I’d be at Armando’s seeing Wendy DeWitt and Sue Palmer.

   See what I did there? See that selflessness? How about that?

   Let me tell you about this Boogie Woogie Piano Summit; it will be great! Wendy DeWitt is a force of nature! I’ve played with her a couple of times, including the last Good Stuff Guitars jam at Armando’s, and basically, she sits down, roars down the runway, and you’re off the ground! If you’re lucky, you’ll get a key, and you better watch for breaks. All the while Wendy’s got this big grin on her face. It’s so cool!

   Her co-star Saturday night is Sue Palmer, a well known pianist in Southern California. Sue spent a lot of time playing with Candye Kane, and just about everyone else down there! She damn near makes the keys dance around the stage.

   I have no idea what the two are going to do Saturday night. Hopefully there’s a little taking turns, and then some no holds barred duets! Hell, these two might pick up their keyboards and ‘sword fight’ with them! Whatever the case, if you like Boogie piano at all, then Armando’s is the place to be Saturday night.

   Then, Sunday you could come see The Billy Martini Show at the Florence in Fremont, from 5 to 9PM. Whew. There, I feel better. Back to a more self serving mode.

Q: Why does a dog howl when a harmonica player plays?
A: He's trying to show him how the song goes.

    A couple of years ago, I was on tour in Germany, and while out exploring one day, came across a sign that read “Hohner Conservatorium of Music”. I took a quick picture with my phone, but I can’t find that photo now. It’s a shame. Comedic gold, really.

    Let’s face it; the Harmonica is the Rodney Dangerfield of the blues world. It’s no secret why; they’re small and can be had inexpensively. Anyone can pick one up and make an almost musical noise. And frankly, almost every musician has a story about an annoying harp player.

Q. Why do harmonica players say they play a "harp"?
A. So you won't think they play a "harmonica".

    All of that aside, I am here to tell you that, like any other instrument, there are some very good musicians amongst all the noise. In the right hands…or lips, a Harmonica can cry and moan and wail as good as any guitar or saxophone. It’s rare, but true.

    Wednesday night you have a chance to hear some of the most talented Harmonica players the Bay Area has to offer at the SF Bay Harper’s Quarterly Jam, at Armando’s in Martinez. Slated to grace the stage and blow (so far); Beth Kohnen, Mark Fenichel, Joe Lempkowski, Paul Palizzolo, Larry Marks, Danny White, and Peter Sproul. Playing supporting roles will be Awed Ducks, Don Yonder on guitar, and the house band of Brett King Cosby on drums, Kelly Back on guitar, and some guy playing bass. He’s always there.

Q. How many Harp Players does it take to change a light bulb?
A. None--they just steal somebody else's light.

    Who said that? So mean. Wednesday night we’ll give them all the light they need! Come out and see some real players!

SF Bay Harper’s Quarterly Jam
Armando’s, 7 to 10PM,
707 Marina Vista,
Martinez.

    Once again, I’m here to tell you about a special gig. Once again, it’s happening at Armando’s in Martinez. The two seem to go hand in hand! Saturday night, January 16th, 8 to 11PM, come see The Jeff Magidson Blues Band!

    Guitarist Jeff Magidson is no stranger to Armando’s. His band Duo Gadjo has played too many a packed house, and his work with The Hot Club of San Francisco and his role as Music Director at Red House keeps his schedule full. Jeff ‘honors his roots’ with an evening of blues, ranging from sophisticated jazz-tinged ballads to swampy delta funk. I love playing with Jeff because he’s just so good that it makes the blues a joy!

    Originally, Jeff had a very good friend lined up to play drums, but unfortunately, circumstances beyond everyone’s control forced him to bow out. You know the old saying; “Sometimes when a door closes, a window of opportunity opens”? Well, sometimes, when a door closes, someone kicks it in! Coming to the rescue is J. Hanson, from Rick Estrin and the Nightcats! Speaking as a bassist, yeah…that works!

    My biggest problem will be remembering to keep playing, and not just stop and listen to those two guys play! Most musicians prefer if the bass player plays the bass. The whole “sitting around and listening” thing is pretty unappreciated, if you’re supposed to…be, um, playing the bass.

    So come out! It’s a great opportunity to see some really talented musicians (and me, even!), having a good time, in a great venue!

    Oh, and by the way; if you want to come early and get some dinner, I suggest “Arigato” on Main St. near Alhambra. Super inexpensive Japanese food. Sashimi, California Rolls, Tempura, Teriyaki…all really, really good! Did I mention ‘inexpensive’?

I’ve got some good news, and some bad news…but really, mostly good news.

Remember the big audition? The big secret one? It looks like I got the gig! So come March I’ll be heading out on tour with…I can’t tell you.

It’s not that it’s still a big secret. It’s like this; until March, there’s a guy doing the gigs, and without really knowing his situation, I don’t want to put it out into the Ethernet that I got the job. Common courtesy, really. In the meantime, if you see me, I’ll totally tell you the who, what and where, but for now, mum’s the word, okay?

This is all good news. There’s not really any bad news. The only tough part is to keep a schedule of local gigs for the times when I’m back at home, between road trips. For a Sideman, out of sight is often out of mind. “Out of mind” means “out of work”, and no work, means no…well, you see where this is going.

So how am I going to pull this off? How do musicians pull off the ‘dual career’, road and home?

I don’t know! The last time I was touring, I’d come home and have nothing going on for weeks on end until it was time to hit the road again. That’s dumb, and that’s my fault. I’ve got to be better at handling my own career.

I’ve got some ideas. First of all, schedule management, using Facebook, MySpace, and of course my own web site, www.kennanshaw.com to keep people informed about where I am and going to be. To this end, I’ll develop my Mailing List a little bit. Maybe, just maybe I’ll even get better at talking on the phone (shudder).

Aside from straight gigging, the higher profile of my gig should work for me as far as offering “Spot Lessons”; one time lessons focusing on real world Blues Bass. I also want to develop some group class/mini-concert concepts, mingling education with a “House Concert” setting. Things like this can even work while on tour.

So I’ve got plans. I’m also open to other ideas, if you have them! And by all means; if you have gigs, give me a call! I know they call it “playing music”, but I love to work! I’m especially looking for gigs next month! February is looking a little feeble right now.

I the meantime, check my schedule and come see me; I’ve got some “Good Stuff Guitars” blues jams (second and fourth Mondays) and a date with the great Jeff Magidson (Saturday the 16th) coming up at Armando’s, and some fabulous Billy Martini Show dates soon also. Come out and I’ll share secrets!

I don’t want to talk about New Years Eve. I mean, every year I trot out my personal tales of NYE horror, and I’m just tired of the rant.

I want to offer a safer, more sophisticated alternative to hitting the big city on NYE. What you should do, is have your “big city”, high-fallutin’ NYE a few days early!

Fortunately, I’ve got just the ticket; come to Yoshi’s San Francisco to see the Brothers Goldman on December 29th! All the glitz and glamour, and none of the ridiculous gouging and hassle.

Take parking, for instance. The last time I was in the city for a NYE gig, I had to pay $80 to park! The parking in the historic Fillmore District should be fairly easy on the 29th. There’s no show at the Fillmore that night, so surface streets will have spaces.

What about ticket prices? That SF NYE show I played a couple of years ago had a ticket price of around $120 a pop! And that was for a show that started at 10:30 and ended around 1:00! Compare that to the value of the Yoshi’s Lounge at $5. That’s right; F-I-V-E dollars, American. And we’re playing from 9:30 until 1:30 in the morning! You can’t even compare the value! It’s not even in the ballpark!

Consider the overall feeling of the two evenings; if you’ve shelled out more than three hundred dollars for you and your current squeeze before even taking your seat, the pressure to enjoy yourself can destroy any good time you might have. The pressure is enormous! And what if it’s a relatively new relationship you’re in? no wonder people drink the way they do on NYE! The Yoshi’s show, by comparison, is a hassle free cruise to Shangri-La, and comparatively ‘all expenses paid’. You could end up spending less than what you would just to tip two nights later.

How often does that big city, NYE “celebration” include good food? If you’re lucky, you’ll get a plastic cup of generic Champagne at midnight. Yoshi’s will be serving Sushi rolls until 1 AM! Kick ass, Yoshi’s Sushi until the wee hours! All in the sophisticated Lounge setting of San Francisco’s newest cool nightclub, in the city’s funkiest little entertainment district. There are several music spots along Fillmore, and you could make a whole ‘bar-hopping’ evening of it at a fraction of the cost!

Finally, there’s the drive home. Trying to get out of San Francisco 2AM on January 1st is like being in a zombie movie. Masses of people lurching around the streets, ignoring street lights, dashing off the sidewalk towards you car, while the gutters run deep with…well, not blood, but it’s all coming from human bodies. Instead of the curse of the undead, it’s more the curse of the alcohol impaired. When they lurch at your car, it’s not that they’re out to eat your brains to convert you to their damned legion; they want to convert your car to a cab, because they’re trapped in the city.

So, why would you NOT come to Yoshi’s for early New Years? You could have a great, big city experience, then two nights later, do something relatively local, and ultimately more fun for Traditional New Years! With The Brothers Goldman bringin’ the funk and blues, and Yoshi’s with the cocktails and sushi, Old Man Time himself will probably be hanging out!

http://www.yoshis.com/sanfrancisco/jazzclub/artist/show/1054

   This past week I had a big-time audition down in Southern California. While I’m not positive if I got the gig or not, I feel like I had a great audition. I know that however the chips fall, I did everything I felt I could do, and have absolutely no regrets. So without giving too much away – seeing as how it’s still up in the air – here’s the story of how it came to be, and what I did that made me feel so good about the effort I put into it.

  You know; bragging disguised as “a teachable moment”, like the rest of my Blogs!

  The whole thing was really the result of some hard work, and of course a good deal of luck. The gig is with a fairly well known female blues artist based in Southern California. She’s just been nominated for three Blues Foundation Awards, and I think she’s on the verge of a big year. Her guitarist is actually a Bay Area native who I’ve worked with, and sort of knew for a while. Pretty sweet, right?

  (See, those were all clues I giving up for right now.)

  I found out about the gig from a mutual friend, a big fan and supporter of the blues, who was kind enough, lucky for me, to think of me when she heard about the Bass Player job opening up!

  The first step is to make sure the principles know that I want this gig, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get it. So I sent out Emails that said just that. While it might not seem like an ideal geographical match, in reality it’s not that far, and as some of you know, I’ll drive anywhere for a gig.

  The next step was material. The advice of two guys kept echoing in my ears; Mel Brown’s book “Zero to Sideman”, and the recent interview I did with Bobby Vega. Mel advocates identifying who you want to play with, and make yourself a book of their material. Bobby, on talking about taking the Tower of Power spot while Rocco was sick, told me he ‘moved in” with TOP songs, and spent hours a day learning the tunes.

  I took it upon myself to get a copy of the latest CD, and set about my process of learning the songs. At first, I just listened to it all the time. For about three days, just soaking in what was going on. Then I strapped on a bass and started playing along, identifying keys and general feels. Then, out came the headphones, and I started really dissecting the bass lines. The disc was produced by the singer and the guitarist themselves, so I figured the bass lines on the songs were the ones they wanted to hear. I made small, quick notes on each tune; not charts, just guides. These I went over a lot, just to cement the connection between the song and what I had written about it.

  I kept listening to the disc and nothing else, but now I was mentally playing the bass lines away from the bass, and paying attention to the lyrics; what went where and how the music reacted to them. By now I had Cyber-pestered my way into a Face to face audition, so I jumped in the car last Thursday morning and headed south, listening to the disc, pretty much all the way down.

  My audition was scheduled for 7:00, and I got into town around 4:30, so I got myself a motel room, and just relaxed for a while. After a quick shower and a little practicing to limber up, I headed for my appointment.

  You know me; terminally On Time or Early. I had about a half an hour to wait, so I got a cup of 7/11 coffee, and ran my last minute check list. The title song from the disc has a lot of subtle shifts, so I spent some time listening to it and mentally playing the bass line. The other thing I noticed was that I was kind of nervous! It was kind of cool! I’ve been really fortunate in my silly little musical career, played some big shows all over the world, and that kind nervousness doesn’t show up too often. I know from past experience that it resides right in my shoulders, so some breathing and relaxing the shoulders releases that tension. Going over my notes, I knew that this is as good as I was going to be on the material.

  I was ready.

  The first part of the audition was more interview. What I’d done, who I’d played with, why I got fired, who I was. I was honest, upbeat, and motivated. There are some strong reasons that I’m perfect for this gig beyond just my playing, and I tried to emphasize those.

  Then came the all important, “can he play?” part of the audition. After apologizing for not sending me material, they were trying to figure out what to play, when I told them that I had learned the record. We could play whatever they wanted. Smiles all around. So three tunes were chosen; the title cut (!), a big, raucous number, and a sort of 40’s, jazzy tune. Three different feels.

  Here’s where another lesson I learned from a bass player many years ago came into play. When Darryl Jones got the gig with The Rolling Stones, he was asked how he nailed the audition. His reply was that he knew he was dealing with ‘Larger than Life’ characters here, and everyone auditioning probably walked in a little wide-eyed and hung on everything either Mick or Keith did. His plan was to go in, and while playing, really lock into Charlie.

  So we’d decide what to play, I’d consult my notes, set them down, and watch the drummer’s bass drum, and concentrate on what he was doing first.

  Bass and drums, baby. Bass and drums.

  Without trying to even appear humble here, let me tell you; I nailed it. I knew the tunes, I knew the lines, I grooved with everybody. Bigger smiles all around. I was showered with compliments, from people I was trying like hell to impress! That is a very fine sense of accomplishment, indeed. I mean, come on, I’m not saving the world here; I’m playing bass. But for this moment, I did it really, really well!

  Without giving away anything said in confidence, I received a lot of positive feedback from the band. I set out to show I was motivated, and to prove that I was willing to do the work. I made the effort and showed up asking for nothing but a chance to prove I was the man for the job, and I don’t think it went unnoticed.

  So did I get the gig? I think so, but it’s complicated. The band doesn’t get busy for a couple of months, and until then most of the gigs are local, down there. She’s got a ‘local guy’, but what the future holds, she’s not sure. When I know, I’ll let you know. I’m just really proud of the job I did on this whole thing! Plus, I’m a very lucky guy, so I have that going for me, too. So my fingers are crossed, and every once and a while, I find myself holding my breath. But I already know all that tension is all in the shoulders…!