Gig report: Trophy's, Tues 11/20/07

Things are moving fast! More new developments in the ongoing saga of the World Racketeering Squad.

Picked up an EH Big Muff Pi pedal on Tuesday. We don't really even have that many songs that call for fuzz, but I'm trying to build up a pedal set and it's flashier than the compressor or BBE Sonic Stomp that I want. Ironically I've already got terrific fuzz sounds from my new AD30VT amp, but there you go!

Our big gig is tonight, but last night we played the open mic at Trophy's Bar & Grill, smoky little bar with a folky crowd, mostly a scene from the Kerrville Folk Festival. They have a showcase performer in the middle of the night and several open mic slots for 2 songs each before and after. A couple of weeks ago after our set I asked the host, curmudgeonly Bill Davis, what we need to do to get a showcase slot. He laughed and said "Get better." So I resolved to do that and get a slot, and put the idea in the back of my mind, to be brought out much later.

Then last night, only two weeks later, Bill Davis approached us and said "I haven't asked y'all to be a showcase yet, have I?" and committed to giving us a spot early in 2008. He also had some other projects in the works he wants to talk to us about.

Bill Davis is also a singer/songwriter with a really intense energy on stage, who draws a devoted crowd when he plays. He's completely different in style from us, not whimsical or esoteric in the least. So it's blowing our minds to have him so enthusiastic about us!

Now I'm just trying to decide how much to practice today before the gig tonight. I don't want to overdo it!

We've decided to play with my little Kustom amp and effects unit, the way we've been practicing our set for weeks now, but I'm dying to use my AD30 and Big Muff!

Isaac