Moonlighting Madness

I’m going to use my second post to the Culture Shock blog as an opportunity for self-promotion. (Isn't that the ENTIRE purpose of blogs)? While my day-job is to serve the needs of Big Art, I spend too many moonlight hours in the pursuit of Little Art -- viz, I play guitar and sing in an amateur trio dubbed "Bourbon Jockey" (after the Tom Waits’ song "Jockey Full of Bourbon"). Our original name was "Cover Charge and the Three Drink Minimum," but we ran into marketing challenges.

Tonight, Bourbon Jockey will be playing what has become a monthly activity (or "gig" as we say in the "business") at Roots Organic Brewing Company in Southeast Portland. In a later post, I may write about the raging debate on whether bar owners are destroying the dreams of musicians in Portland. Suffice it to say, we’re paid in wholesome, organic beer and are grateful as long as they keep pouring.

I’ve taken the liberty of creating our own fan club: "The Bourbon Dynasty: The Official Fan Club of Bourbon Jockey." Members are known as "Bourbonites." Since membership is automatic and involuntary, few fan club members realize that they belong to a community of like-minded individuals.

Our blog host, CultureJock, encouraged me to share my latest fan club announcement, e-mailed to Bourbonites late last night:

As I write, fewer that 24 hours (now 11) remain before Bourbon Jockey lights the stage on fire at Roots Organic Brewing Company, sharing our unique blend of honky tonk and rock and roll music. With any luck, we'll live up to our high standards, which are as follows:

1) At least two of the three instruments will be tuned to each other, and in what is generally considered "standard" tuning.

2) A majority of the band members (two) will start each song in the same key. If the third member starts in a different key, he will notice and correct the mistake no later than 50% of the way through the song.

3) The tempo of any given tune will be played at a reasonably stable pace from start to end (+/- 25%).

4) The singer will remember no fewer than 80% of the lyrics in any given verse, and 60% of the chorus. If at the start of a verse, it is apparent that most of the words have been forgotten, it will be acceptable to go directly to the next verse (or to hum);

5) The entire band will reach the end of the song within at least two measures of each other, with the exception of the bass player, who will be allowed an extra measure.

6) Everybody will have fun.

Hope you can make it, and please tell all your friends to come to (and to come too).

WHERE? Roots Organic Brewing Company (1520 SE 7th)
WHEN? Thursday, July 24th, starting about 8:00 (but please drop in anytime).
WHO? Ross, Matthew and Alan, aka Bourbon Jockey