Show review: El Rio last Saturday

Let's just start out by saying that the show went awesome. Really good. It's nice having Gina around because she gets nervous enough for the both of us. I can totally understand why though. The truth is that I have played a lot of shows before. With The Pre-Teens, we played the back room of El Rio at least three times... though the stage used to be along the back wall and there was a bartender where the stage is now... memory lane. Anyway, I've been doing this a long time now. Even before The Pre-Teens, I played solo and before all of that, I was a total band geek., which really does prepare you for performing. Once, the marching band played in the parking lot of KFC. Even as a teenager, I realized that was a shitty venue. You learn quick.

It's nice to open the show because nothing makes me more nervous than waiting for the other bands to finish. "Is this their last song?" you start asking people around you. It could be Cyndi Lauper up on that stage and I'd be all, "God, I wish she'd just stop now so that we can get on before I have to go nervously pee again."

This was clearly the biggest audience The Heated has had so far and was mostly filled with friends, which is just the best, best crowd you can have. I'm pretty sure I snagged a few friends on the mailing list too. Start with your friends, man. There were hoots and hollers and clapping in the breakdowns just like I'd imagined the crowd would do once The Heated's music moved them so. Special thanks to the "Little Helpers", especially my door crew... and then especially the door person who had to cover during our set. It could not have been done without you.

Beatbeat Whisper is just the coolest, nicest, prettiest band that I've played with so far. Please go see them play. One of their band members lost a bag that night. If you have any information regarding where it might be now, holler. I ended up seeing Grand Lake's set from behind and even from the other side of glass patio doors, I could tell they were rocking it in there. They sounded great. The staff at El Rio totally helped everything run smoothly. Everything came together and it was the pinnacle of success for The Heated so far. the one thing that didn't happen? Pictures! Sorry, kids. The one below is all we got.