So many people have been asking me how things are going with our band.
The answer is....
Our band didn't work out. It was not for a lack of trying, I assure you, but nonetheless...I am not in a band anymore. I hope that it is just the end of a chapter and not just "the end".
After being with the Crystal Image band for 2 1/2 years, in January, Steve and I found ourselves trying to start a new band. We bought all the equipment and did what we could to get ready to put something new together. And, we found a variety of truly talented musicians. Meanwhile I had venues calling and asking for us to play. Each time we played as Stephanie Farrell and the Wild Katz, it was with different people. We had trouble finding players who like the same music that we do.
I even tried hiring established bands to back us up and while they were terrific, I couldn't afford it. There were gigs where after I paid the band and it ended up costing me money to do the show. I know that musicians don't make much, but I don't want to pay to play.
I appreciate everyone that we played with and both Steve and I learned a lot from all of them.
We both miss the shows, the music and all the friends that we made while playing in a band.
We remain optimistic that something will still work out and we will be able to stay in music in some form or another. I'm still looking for band members (if you know someone....let me know!)
For now, we are not in a band, we do not have any upcoming gigs.
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! for all the support over these past few years. Thank you to those of you who have continued to email and call me to see if we have any shows coming. That means the world to me!
Please stay in touch! My email address is isastephanie @ yahoo .com and you can find me on Facebook too!
I will let you know when the next chapter begins....
We had such a wonderful night at the Lodi Moose Lodge. I was so happy to see so many familiar faces.
As we left for the St. Patrick's Day show at the Lodi Moose, it was snowing at our house (it's kinda rare for us). We knew that we would be coming home to MORE snow later that night, so we brought our snow boots and coats with us.
Down in the valley, it was raining. The Lodi Moose party was a full house. A little rain didn't bother these folks.
The night went by so fast. We had so much fun.
It was a blast. Thank you to each and every person who gave us encouraging
words and compliments. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
I so appreciate the folks for coming out and supporting us and dancing.
It means the world to me personally. At the end of the night, the room
was still mostly full. And,when we stopped at the appointed time, Bud,
the fellow who booked us asked us to keep playing! Wow. Are you kidding? We could have played ALL night. That was the best thing we could have heard.
We had such a wonderful night at the Lodi Moose Lodge. I was so happy to see so many familiar faces. And nervous too.
It's been a while since our last gig and a lot has changed in the meantime. It's been hard, actually. There have been many times when I thought about just letting it all go. But, then I think about how much fun performing music is, and how much I love the people that we get to play for. That's when I realize that I just have to find a way to keep it going.
After we went our separate ways from our last band, Crystal Image, I had to decide what to do next. The only option open to me was to start something new. Believe me, that was a scary thought. Way Way Way out of my comfort zone.
We started out with some great guys....the originalWild Katz. And, then, it just seemed like one thing after another happened. At one point, Scott Berian, one of the original Wild Katz and an excellent guitar player and performer, suggested to me that I hire a trio, Unkl Bean to be my band. After a lot of thought, I took his advice. He and Dave Dommes (another original Wild Katz) went on to form a brand new band, "Backslide", you can hear them on Facebook.
We met with Unkl Bean and just loved their energy. Each one of the guys are so nice! Unkl Bean is Will Barnes on guitar, Tom Staniford on bass and Chuck Procopio on drums. (we played with Chuck a few times back in our days with Crystal Image). They worked hard to learn our music and get it just right. Their band plays mostly original music, you can listen on their website www.unklbean.com.
As we left for the St. Patrick's Day show at the Lodi Moose, it was snowing at our house (it's kinda rare for us). We knew that we would be coming home to MORE snow later that night, so we brought our snow boots and coats with us.
Down in the valley, it was raining. The Lodi Moose party was a full house. A little rain didn't bother these folks.
Joining us this night was Kendra, Tom's girlfriend. She was so sweet! She pitched right in and was a "roadie" with us, lugging equipment!
When I saw so many people I knew from my time with the Crystal Image band, I got really nervous. I wondered what they were expecting. I knew that I was in good hands with my guys, but this band is very different from my last band. No keyboard....we have a bass player instead.
Another huge difference for us is that THIS is my band, and I am totally responsible. If it goes great...well that's good. But, if it doesn't, it's all on ME. Steve is our "soundman" by default (he he), and he does a great job. We have an enormous sound board with about a million knobs on it, and he is in charge of making sure that it's all set just right. Kendra was so helpful that she went out during our sound check to listen and report back.
Being the leader of the band, I had lots of responsibilities. In the past, I was always pretty happy to be a supporting member in a band. I followed what the leader told me. Bliss. Now, I had to keep thinking the whole time. I had to set the beat to my songs. Have you ever wondered why each song starts with "one, two, three"? However fast those numbers are spoken is the cue to the rest of the band as to the beat of the song. So, now it was up to me to count in my songs. I also had the task of giving cues to Steve and Will for taking solos. And, I had to cue everyone when the ending was coming up. I'm getting the hang of it and it's actually very fun.
Sometimes I have to tell myself to stop thinking so much in the moment and have fun. The whole reason that I'm there is to have fun. And, it's the reason the folks come out too. I just want to sing, dance and watch the people having a good time. It's why I continue to do this.
When it was time to start, I was pretty nervous. Have you ever had that feeling when your mouth goes dry and feels like it's full of cotton? Yep. Like that. But, that's okay, the show must go on! After the first couple of songs, I was fine. It's music after all. What's better than that?
We all made mistakes and goofs. But, we all supported each other as a team. I love that about Unkl Bean. They never get upset or mad. Never. It's pretty comforting. At one point, I kept trying to sing the wrong song. I turned to Will and asked him if he was playing the right key. Lol. Finally Steve nudged me and I realized that I had the wrong song in mind. Problem solved. Ugh.
I still have a lot of homework to do. One couple asked for a certain dance beat. None of us really knew what song would be good for that. I need to learn the dance beats and equate them to our song list. I learned a lot of that from John. He was a master at it. But, I don't know enough yet by a long shot.
The night went by so fast. We had so much fun. It was a blast. I can't wait for the next show. I wish it was tomorrow! Thank you to each and every person who gave us encouraging words and compliments. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!
One of our band friends commented that we have a lot of new songs that we didn't do in our last band. I told him that we have a lot more coming!!
I so appreciate the folks for coming out and supporting us and dancing. It means the world to me personally. At the end of the night, the room was still mostly full. And,when we stopped at the appointed time, Bud, the fellow who booked us asked us to keep playing! Wow. Are you kidding? We could have played ALL night. That was the best thing we could have heard.
Stay tuned. Much more is coming! Thanks again.
And, yes. I will start sending out emails again very soon.
It's a brand new year and full of so many changes. For the past two years, Steve and I have been playing almost every single weekend with John and Michael as Crystal Image. It's been a wonderful experience in more ways than I can count. You can read about the first year by clicking on my story "How I got here" at the top of this blog. I was trying to think of my favorite times to recap, and I just can't. Every gig was a favorite.
I will always be grateful to John for all his mentoring. I was so fortunate to have him teach me everything I know about music. And I will miss that! He is a gifted musician and an even more gifted teacher. He can play almost any instrument really well. I've enjoyed the stories about the many years and many memories he has of his long and vast musical career. And, I look forward to continuing our friendship for many years to come.
And, Michael....I appreciate him so very much for playing with us when we knew nothing and being so patient and caring. Michael is so funny and fun to be around. He is a talented guitar player and a wonderful singer. I have so enjoyed performing with him and dancing on stage together! I will also miss hearing him talk about food. He is a wonderful cook and loves to talk about his latest recipe.
And, then there is Jerry. I have already missed Jerry for the past month when he went home back east to take care of his parents until his father passed away recently. That right there just says so much about the character of this man. From the first moment he joined us, I loved his energy and his drumming.
For the past year the 5 of us have had many great experiences.
As we all move forward, I am so thankful to keep these many happy memories with me!
The future? You can follow John and Michael with their new drummer Brian, who I have enjoyed gigging with these past few weeks. Brian is a truly nice guy and a terrific drummer, and their trio is going to be awesome. www.crystalimageband.weebly.com Jerry is back home now and I'm sure that he will be playing soon and I will let you know as soon as I know.
Steve and I have started a new band, Stephanie Farrell and the Wild Katz. We have been rehearsing for a while now and will be playing shows very soon. In fact, we are available for booking right now, just let me know!! If you want to get a taste of what's coming, visit our new website www.wildkatzband.com
When I look back on the past two years of performing, I CAN say without a doubt that one of my MOST favorite things is all the new friendships I have made at our shows. I look forward to meeting new people and seeing old friends in 2012.
Happy New Year to you!! Best wishes for a fabulous year!!
