Faith & Scars: First Paid Show

Hello Dreamers!

Happy Friday!!!!

I hope this post finds you well!

I am really not sure why there were so many exclamation points above... but we'll just roll with it. I meant to get this post out earlier in the week, but I haven't been feeling motivated to do much other then go to school and come home at the end of the day. I've got some big news that I want tot share tomorrow that I've been working on, but other then that... I haven't been doing much.

Last Friday was the band's first paid show, our third official show as well. Background for those new here ((and not on FB or IG)), I co-manage my boyfriend's band with my wonderful friend Cheyanne ((she is engaged to the lead singer/guitarist)).

Like I said, last Friday was our first paid show, and our first "big" show. We played at a local pub in Fayetteville and overall it was a good night. I don't do well when I am being rushed out of the house... I tend to forget things.... it's a given. I had had a doctors appointment (more about that in another post) and then spent the rest of the free time running errands for the day with my roommate, and then Lee when he came home from work. When we got home from our errands, two of our band mates were leaving our house (they had showed up while we were gone to get some stuff) they told us they were leaving because load in was in 30 minutes.

Please note that we were so not ready. My clothes for the night were still in the washer, the truck hadn't been loaded with Lee's drum kit and the merchandise, because no one had told us that load in had been moved up to 1700..... We still thought it was at 1800.... So we rush to get everything in the car and get on the road. I don't do well when I am rushed in situations like this... and I abound to forget stuff. I did.... I forgot my camera and the table that we use to set up our merch. Luckily, Amy was close enough to bring me what I needed before the show.

We end up sharing a march table with another band because the promoter didn't realize that we would have merch... which is weird because he's worked with this band before (with the old members) and they've always had merchandise.... either way... it was cramped and I wasn't very happy about it... but we made it all work out. 

We got to talk to some of the other bands hanging around the merch tables before the show started. One of the guys from Elisium, whom we were opening for, was pretty cool and Lee struck up a conversation with them as well... they knew who we were before this show. That's impressive because we're still a small band. I had some conversations with the lead singer, Sean, of Death Division about merchandise stuff and unintentionally reminded him that he didn't have his signed dry heads and what not on display to sell. Really cool guys to chat with.

Everything was going well once we got set up at the merchandise table, where Cheyanne and I were hanging out. Friends of ours came to the show, and also people that new the rest of our band (coworkers and family members) and we were having a good time. Cheyanne and I were making note of some things that we wanted on the merch table for future shows (like a tip jar and some lights on the table for dark venues) and we were enjoying it. The next thing I know, our rhythm guitarist comes running inside and starts asking for ice. Turns out Roger (the lead singer guy) had jumped from an 8 foot railing and landed wrong, rolling his ankle.

So I go outside with Amy (poor Sarah got left with the merchandise table but I trust her so it was fine) and Roger is laying in the back of their SUV with everyone around him. His ankle swelled immediately and it didn't help that another gentleman (long time fan.... but already a few drinks in) was messing with his foot. Roger kept asking for Lee (he's a medic in the Army) but the other guy wasn't letting anyone anywhere near his ankle (he's a trauma nurse where the other half of the band lives). The short end of that part of the story is that the guy wrapped Roger's ankle in an ace wrap and then duct tape to keep it somewhat immobilized because Roger was dead set on playing the show.

Roger and Lee

The guys played a great show despite Roger being in so much pain (he refused to take anything) and other then him hopping around on one foot at times, you wouldn't have known he was hurt. Roger and Brandon played their only acoustic song, The Fade, and dedicated the song to Mem, who was road crew for the night.... they made the kid's day! At the end of the song, Brandon's guitar chord came loose and you couldn't hear him playing so Roger improvised but putting the microphone in mine and Cheyanne's faces so we could sing the last line ((it's a small pub and the only thing separating the stage from the crowd is a tiny little half fence)).

Overall the night went really well, with a few minor hiccups. We all learned to make a master list for packing the cars so that way we don't forget anything, and no one is allowed to jump off railings before a show, and Lee needs to make sure we always have a med kit with us. We had fun, met some great people in the music industry, got to play our music, gained new fans (our social media has been blowing up since this show), and sold some merch. 

Cheyanne, Roger, me, and Lee
after their set

Happy Friday Dreamers!