back in 2004, clayton and stevie had just joined paul and me in the van gogh brothers, and the band had really started to hone our sound. clay’s 3-part harmonies had emerged and our roots-meets-pop songs were getting stronger, having completed our first album with producer anthony resta. we were looking for a place to play regularly- like every single week. we were road tested by then, having toured with pals, the Swinging Steaks, and aside from my touring days in my '20’s, paul and i had played countless gigs in LA, nashville, the midwest and throughout the northeast- in bars, ballparks, arenas and the like. how many below-zero wednesday nights in january in an empty bar does it take to polish a band? i don’t know exactly, but i think we had met the quota at this point, and we had also joined the Steaks in the rotating drummer department- we had several, but not just one.
enter andy plaisted, who had supported us with the Steaks and and begun to accept dates with us on our own. we were chatting about our quest and he said, “have you ever played Vincent’s?” and of course we hadn’t. vincent’s had just opened a year or so prior and we were just hearing about it after an extended dennis brennan residency. it was a bit of full circle- we had started out at the coco bean in worcester 10 years earlier, so returning to worcester seemed to fit. and with that, i reached out to vincent and told him what we were after. vincent had us play an afternoon show at ralph’s, which was really just an audition in disguise, and after playing for the bartender, we booked into vincent’s every saturday for the next year or so. we’ve returned ever since, even during my 5 years in los angeles. vincent’s has always been there for us, and now, as we move into a new, late stage for the band, we have settled into a monthly “lifetime” residency.
the music business is full of highs and lows, but the constant is playing for live audiences, whether it’s in a stadium or a bar. there is nothing like the one-to-one, live connection, especially when you’re playing original songs. we have determined that if a song passes muster with the band, we then have to play it for a live audience, and if the song connects with strangers, it’s a keeper. that’s true at all levels of the business. i recently saw john mayer, and he mentioned the importance of audience reaction and new songs— if it resonates, you know. so vincent’s continues to be our laboratory for the alchemy of music.
you can write songs well into your old age, but performing the songs for others is another story. i always say, “just because you wrote it, doesn’t mean it’s good,” and, “how do you know if a song doesn’t suck if you haven’t played it for anyone?” for this you need the element of surprise, the unbiased reaction of strangers, and an environment that is unforgiving. many artists complain about not having “listening” rooms. I prefer a hostile barroom. if i can win over a bar that doesn’t want to listen with songs they’ve never heard, then i know the songs have got something. vincent’s helps us with this, too. it’s a challenge, and it’s fun. imagine that?
so that’s a little bit more about songwriting and performing, and of course another tip of the hat to vincent and vincent’s for being our musical anchor. God only knows where things will go from here on out for our band, but we look forward to our monthly shows at Vincent’s as we go. we’ll be there on Saturday October 15th and every second saturday of every month after that until june.
see you at the show.
love,
jc
