Daydreaming of Roadies

I cannot believe how much stuff goes to a show.  Of course, maybe -- in the words of Becky -- I undertake to do too much.  Then again, don’t we all want control of our destinies?



For Shine with the Sneaky Tikis, we provided the entire back line.  Drums, cymbals, and hardware.  Three guitar amps.  Bass amp.  Cords.  Instrument mics, stands, and backup cables.  Plus we had our own merchandise tub and instruments.  Surprisingly, just the equipment to make rock ‘n roll music for an evening filled the back of the Prius and a good portion of Sue’s Element.

Good thing that our music generally revolves around three or four chords.  If it was complicated, we would be too tired to concentrate on the music after loading up at the Doghouse and loading in at Shine.

The other night, Robert was lamenting that our songs were so much alike -- structurally -- that he has trouble remembering each one.  As I sat in the Doghouse resting before the trip to Shine to set up the stage, I wondered what would happen if we had to learn and remember a bunch of difficult songs.  My conclusion was that I would have a meltdown.

Sitting, resting, and enjoying a cup of coffee allowed my mind to wander a bit.  What if we had roadies?  Somebody would load and unload the equipment.  Would set up the stage.  Might even tune up our instruments.  All that we would have to do is show up and play.  Wow!

Then the daydream came to a crashing halt.  Who would pay these folks?  Do they get minimum wage?  Rest breaks?  Meal breaks?  Are taxes, unemployment, and Social Security withheld?  Are they covered by Workers’ Comp?  How high would the expectations for our performance be?

Yes, the daydream was over for sure.  I guess we will stick with our DIY model.  Besides schlepping equipment is good exercise and gives us an excuse for less than stellar play.  This sexagenarian certainly can use both!

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