First off, I apologize to those of you that read this blog for taking the week off last week. I'll make it up to you today. I will cover our Event from July 31st, then go on to cover our Event this past Sunday. Before hitting on those fronts, I am honored to inform you all that The FA-Q ALLiance has put out our very first Group Original, coming very soon to this blog. Facebook friends get an early preview, but we now have our trademark song, Funky Like the Jew, in a format where everyone can listen to it. Our next gig is Saturday August 27th at Tony's Bar and Grill in Duluth, a great venue that is finally on the FA-Q bandwagon.
So for July 31st we had a solid night, great group of fans in the house and they were given a typical Sunday Night show. Our biggest moments came when Rainy took the stage as she is a fantastic performer and lead singer who easily captured everyone's attention. An extremely close second was the appearance of Sean Michel and his amazing Saxaphone skills. We will be writing more about Sean as he may soon become the newest member of the ALLiance. Great musician and a great guy, a ton of fun to play with and be around.
FA-Q did not monopolize the night, and we really had a number of Jam sessions that worked out like they always do, groovy. We did have the Cucumber set to start the show, a facet of our Events I always enjoy. Bryan is really a talented musician. After that we had a Jazzy set that passed for the FA-Q set, though we did some covers, it was still a lot of Jazz. Brian George also played along with this set with his harmonica.
Our first Open Jam was where the night got crazy as that was when Sean joined the groove. Bubba was the only singer in this set, but was joined by some great talent. Rob Roux and Hugh Handford played dueling guitars while Chris Edwards held down the bass. By now our crowd was really picking up and having Sean play with Brian on harmonica, made bar and event regulars get on their feet.
Our Rob Roux set took things up a notch. Rainy joined the fun with JB handing some backup singing duties like a natural. Sly, the drummer for So What joined in at percussion and behind the drums. Sly is a great guy, a bandmate of Chris Edwards, and a friend to FA-Q ALLiance. He fit in comfortably and was a welcome addition. This set also had J.Alan and Hugh playing together, the father/son combo is always solid. We really closed hard, like we have come to be known for as an ALLiance.
Our Chart for the Night:
Performance Time | Band Name | Musicians | Comments | |||||
Start | Finish | Singers | Guitar | Drum | Bass | Keys | ||
8:00 | 8:30 | Cucumber Set | Bryan Bell | |||||
8:30 | 9:45 | Jazz Set – Almost FA-Q | Bryan Bell Bubba | Bryan Bell Sergio Quesada | J. Alan JB Bubba Brent L. Miller | Bryan Bell | Bubba | Groovin Jazz, a little Rush, some blues and a real crowd pleaser. Brian George did some harmonica |
9:45 | 10:30 | Open Jam Set | Bubba | Rob Roux Hugh | JB Dubs J. Alan | Chris Edwards | Bubba | Brian G also played here. Sean broke out the Saxaphone and was awesome |
10:30 | close | Rob Roux Set | Rainy JB Belinda | Hugh Rob Roux | JB J. Alan Sly | Chris Edwards | Bubba | Great Funky Covers. Shawn was awesome again. Rainy is a great singer and really moved the crowd. Belinda sang the Blues. |
Anna and Vickie worked the night and hustled heavy to keep everyone happy. Bubba and I can't press everyone enough about tipping them well, they earn their money.
For the night we worked through a list of 18 musicians, but the heavy metal band The Aeon Flow bowed out as we don't allow backtracks during our Event. I do not pick on rappers, we just don't allow backtracks to anything. Would have liked to work Bert and Shane into the mix as musicians but they left after bowing. This is not a diss, they are friends with Dubs, I am just noting their inclusion on the list and explaining why they were not reviewed. 18 musicians is around average for us on Sunday Nights, although we never have what other places consider to be "Average Nights."
Our List of Performers for the evening:
List of Performers: | Band/Performer | Performance Skills | Links and Upcoming Events |
Brent L. Miller, Rabbi Pimp Shoes, Mr. Brand New | Performer, Host | Bass, Lead Singing, Percussion | FA-Q |
Preacher Bubba | Performer | Keyboards, Lead Singing, Bass, Mixing and Production | FA-Q |
JB Williams | Performer | Drums, Backup Singing, Percussion | FA-Q |
Sergio Quesada | Performer | Accoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar | FA-Q |
Performer | Bass, Lead Guitar, Accoustic Guitar, Lead Singer | FA-Q | |
John “Dubs” Gomez | Performer | Lead Singer, Guitar, Accoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Sound Master | FA-Q |
J. Alan | Performer | Drums, Percussion | FA-Q |
FA-Q | Band | Fusion R&B and Alternative Rock Band | FA-Q |
Chris Edwards | Performer | Bass | So What |
Brian George | Performer | Harmonica | |
Rob Roux | Performer | Lead Guitar | |
Rainy | Performer | Lead Singer | |
Hugh Handford | Performer | Lead Singer, Lead Guitar | |
Bert | Performer | Lead Guitar | The Aeon Flow |
Shane | Performer | Lead Singer | The Aeon Flow |
The Aeon Flow | Band | Originals played to a backtrack | The Aeon Flow |
Sean Michel | Performer | Saxaphone | |
Belinda | Performer | Lead Singer | |
Sly | Performer | Drums | So What |
Phillip Shriver | Performer | Drums |
It was a good night as it is always good nights with FA-Q ALLiance. We did not have a lot of singers, but Sean made up for that easily.
Dubs was great on sound, he NEVER has an easy job. Combine being a principal in FA-Q ALLiance, and obviously one of our main musicians, he is also our videographer and one of our organizers. All Hail Dubs!!!
Open Mic Even for August 7th
Inbetween these two Events, we at FA-Q took our act to Tony's Bar and Grill in Duluth. It is a bar we have long wanted to perform at, and their Thursday Night Microgigs (their unique Open Mic Event) are an event we fully support. The gentlemen who run the event are good friends and have a great ear for Music. Prior to recently the issue with the bar has been management. That has been fixed as longtime Gwinnett manager Kris Coker is now holding the reigns. I suggest anyone who loves live music come check out Tony's on Thursdays, at least until the Times can do Thursday gigs again.
Sunday Night was a Ying-Yang night. I don't know how else to describe it without the elaboration I am obviously providing. First of all it was JB Williams' birthday. We love our Drummer/Percussionist/Backup Singer and the night was in his honor. So no matter what, it was a great night because of this. He brought his own band Multiple Dimensions to the event, and played in when he felt like it the rest of the night. One time Dubs caught him misdrumming while talking on the phone. For his birthday, he was perfect though.
Our downside was the monitors kept doing their best Godzilla impression early on. It was so bad we had to basically kill the sound to the monitors. Now even if you are a musician, it isn't easy to imagine what having 7-9 muscians at one time playing through the main and not be able to hear the directs (Singers, Keys, a Guitar). Luckily we have Dubs, Bubba, and a ton of amazing musicians. FA-Q is in the process of acquiring a few of our own monitors.
The crowd was incredible, and just kept on growing. Sportstime was packed at ten pm and it was hard to stop playing even for the Fire Spinning Bryan did in honor of JB (and because he likes fire). There were so many musical highlights that I can't begin to pick the best. Obviously when Sawanya Stanley comes to Sportstime everyone calls it the best nights ever, Diva owns Sportstime people. She Leads with both FA-Q and Multiple Dimensions, knows half the house, and sings like an angel. Diva doesn't count in best moments because it's assumed.
We started and worked through the sound issues doing FA-Q with Brian G. joining in with his harmonica. Diva's presense obviously meant that the sound issues were only a factor for the musicians, not the crowd. The crowd was attentive and engaging early on which did help carry the night.
Around 10 pm the crowd was growing and musicians showed up. Our first Open Jam post Godzilla set the tone even if it didn't start until after halfway through. Diva and event regular Hugh Lead some great songs and people kept dancing and yelling. Sergio, Hugh and Rob Roux all rotated at Guitar. Drums and Percussion had JB, J. Alan, Dubs, Myself, Michael Middlebrook, and Breakdown (LeMarshall) all working in. This lineup alone might prove it was our best Drum/Percussion night ever. Bass was always two deep with Myself, Bryan, Chris Edwards, and Rob Bell all rotating through. Easily a tie for our best Bass night as the four of us have all double Bassed with each other before. Sean played amazing on Saxaphone while Bubba and Chris Givens swapped out on Keyboards for an almost high at Keyboards. Yeah, it was a decent set.
JB got the center stage and Muliple Dimensions stepped up to the Stage. Diva and D. Nicole took turns leading and backing to a VERY enthusiastic crowd. Rob held Bass with Bubba at keys and JB at the drums. Joining them was Joe Fry on Percussion with our very own Eric J. Osman and Hugh on Guitar. The end result was literally music to the ears.
Our Rob Roux set kept Eric on Guitar with Rob and Bubba sang out with the Cordless. We close in style but had it's difficulty too. Sean was on Sax, Chris Givens on Keys, Chris Edwards holding Bass, and DeAngelo Jackson on Drums. DeAngelo's inclusion cemented the best drummer night ever status for JB's Birthday. I find that oddly reassuring.
Our Chart of the Night:
Performance Time | Band Name | Musicians | Comments | |||||
Start | Finish | Singers | Guitar | Drum | Bass | Keys | ||
8:00 | 10:15 | FA-Q | Bubba Diva | Sergio Quesada Bryan Bell | J. Alan JB Dubs | Brent Miller Bryan Bell | Bubba | JB’s Birthday Groove. Brian G. Played with us. Diva met the cordless for the first time |
10:15 | 11:15 | Open Jam | Diva Hugh Handford | Sergio Quesada Hugh Handford Rob Roux | J. Alan Dubs JB Brent Miller Michael M Breakdown | Brent Miller Bryan Bell Rob Bell | Bubba | Great Covers. Sean joined on Saxaphone |
11:15 | 11:35 | Multiple Dimensions | D. Nicole Diva | Eric Osman Hugh Handford | JB Williams Joe Frye Breakdown Michael M. | Rob Bell | Bubba | Great Band, ran by the birthday man himself JB Williams |
11:35 | Close | Rob Roux | Bubba | Eric Osman Rob Roux | DeAngelo Jackson Joe Frye | Chris Edwards | Chris Givens | Great Funky ending to an amazing night of music |
The only difficulty, besides to quit playing, was the crowd was in such a frenzy that by the end everyone in the bar had crowded the stage. Musicians and fans alike were caught up in JB Birthday frenzy. What an issue to have huh?
It goes without saying that a night that busy, that packed to the brim, hopefully everyone remembered to tip Anna and Lena very well. They worked like crazy pretty much all night.
Our Performer's list for the event:
List of Performers: | Band/Performer | Performance Skills | Links and Upcoming Events |
Brent L. Miller, Rabbi Pimp Shoes, Mr. Brand New | Performer, Host | Bass, Lead Singing, Percussion | FA-Q |
Preacher Bubba | Performer | Keyboards, Lead Singing, Bass, Mixing and Production | FA-Q |
JB Williams | Performer | Drums, Backup Singing, Percussion | FA-Q |
Sergio Quesada | Performer | Accoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar | FA-Q |
Performer | Bass, Lead Guitar, Accoustic Guitar, Lead Singer | FA-Q | |
John “Dubs” Gomez | Performer | Lead Singer, Guitar, Accoustic Guitar, Bass, Percussion, Sound Master | FA-Q |
J. Alan | Performer | Drums, Percussion | FA-Q |
FA-Q | Band | Fusion R&B and Alternative Rock Band | FA-Q |
Chris Edwards | Performer | Bass | So What |
Brian George | Performer | Harmonica | |
Sawanya Stanley | Performer | Lead Singer | FA-Q |
Eric Osman | Performer | Lead Guitar | |
D. Nicole | Perfomer | Lead Singer | Multiple Dimensions |
Rob Bell | Performer | Bass | Multiple Dimensions |
Multiple Dimesions | Band | R&B | Great Band that crosses with FA-Q ALLiance |
Hugh Handford | Performer | Lead Singer, Lead Guitar | |
Michael Middlebrooke | Performer | Drums | |
LeMarshall | Performer | Drums, Percussion | |
Rob Roux | Performer | Lead Guitar | |
Shawn | Performer | Saxaphone | |
Chris Givens | Performer | Keyboards | |
DeAngelo Jackson | Performer | Drums | |
Joey Frye | Performer | Percussion | |
Steve Michaels | Performer | Two Trumpets |
And so it has been written that on JB's Birthday we had an above average 22 musicians work through the bar. There might have been more there, but late comers better be regulars to play (or tip heavily).
We ate birthday cake, made some great music, and ended the night watching the Cucumber spin fire. We don't have bad nights, but if it wasn't JB's birthday, I wouldn't allow people to facebook about how it was the best night ever. Without the birthday memory, it was obviously a great night but more like our third best.
So until next time, FA-Q ALL
