Dewey Hall, 4 October, 2008 – gig report

(left to right): Joel Schick, me, John Roche, Jeff Brownstein, Greg Nease, Nick Torres, Kyle Roth, Helena Bouchez, Karen Berger, Kathy Reichert

Hello to all!

Even though it’s been the better part of the week, I’m still recovering a bit from last weekend’s show at Dewey Memorial Hall. It was a lot of fun, not to mention being wonderful just to see and play music with some of my friends again.  

We were billed as “David Hodge and the Players to be Named Later.” If you’re familiar with how many of my shows work, you know that I get a gig and then see who might be available to play and perform. I don’t always know who’s going to be free to make the gig, so this seemed like a good name. Not good as Kathy Reichert and “the Company She Keeps,” but good enough of a name to have some folks say they wish they’d used it first.

This time out, the “Players to be Named Later” turned out to be:

Karen Berger – keyboards
Helena Bouchez – bass guitar
Jeff Brownstein – guitar, percussion, keyboards
Greg Nease – guitar, percussion
Kathy Reichert – guitar, vocals
John Roche – guitar, vocals, percussion
Kyle Roth – drums
Joel Schick – harmonica, percussion
Nick Torres – guitar, vocals, percussion

Almost everyone showed up at some point during the day Friday and we spent the afternoon and evening rehearsing. Likewise, Saturday morning and early afternoon. We’d put together a list of thirty-some-odd songs for playing and quickly ditched some and added others. I think we played Man in the Moon twenty-six times Friday evening.

Saturday night we packed the equipment and caravaned over to Sheffield and got going on setting up and working through the soundcheck. Originally, we were going to open the show with the Moody Blues’ The Story in Your Eyes, but after playing it close to what seemed like nineteen times during the soundcheck, we dumped it (many of the audience came early and got to hear it anyway) and went with Suspicious Minds, a song we hadn’t rehearsed at all that weekend as the first number. So much for planning!

Anyway, the set list was as follows:

Suspicious Minds – Elvis
Love is the Drug – Roxy Music
In the Sun – Joseph Arthur
Dancing With the Stars – Kathy Reichert
One by One – Nick Torres / David Hodge
Hey Eugene – Pink Martini
Eurotrash Girl – Cracker
Do You Remember – John Roche
Jack McKenzie – Kathy Reichert
Rosie – David Hodge
Time Bomb – Rancid

INTERMISSION

Alison – (the other) Elvis
Monday Morning – Kathy Reichert
Lost Summer Days – Nick Torres
Piano Through the Ceiling – Kathy Reichert
Orange and Cinnamon – David Hodge
Man in the Moon – R.E.M.
Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
No Reflection on You – Kathy Reichert
I’ll Be Around – Spinners
Evil Ways – Santana

We had a moderate (fifty, maybe?) and enthusiastic crowd and I hope they had as much fun as we did. The entire show was filmed by John’s wonderful wife, Karen, and with a little luck (and a bit of time as I know they’ve a number of other projects going on) we’ll have both video and still photos. John Roche has posted some pictures here.

We’re also sure to get some photos from John Reichert for your entertainment, once he’s had time to got through them himselves.

I’d like to thank both musicians and the audience for making this a very fun weekend. Being able to have the “world premiere” of Nick’s Lost Summer Days, as well as Kathy’s Jack McKenzie was inspiring. I’m honored to have such talented and terrific (and patient!) friends, both on and off the stage.

I’ll be posting up more material as it becomes available. Thanks, as always, for reading and listening.

Peace