Wine Up in NoDa Gallery Crawl

Date: Friday, April 2, 2004
Location: Wine Up in North Davidson Street Disctrict in Charlotte, NC
Purpose: Gallery Crawl gig
Attendance: About 60

I must admit, this gig was a bit strange. This was the second time I played Wine Up! I love the bar--it's non-smoking and it has really eclectic decor and plenty of tables. I played on Gallery crawl night--which means that it was the first Friday of the month. Now that my friends and fans have come to see me there a couple of times, I've noticed that they venture there on other nights as well...I think that's great, and I hope it keeps cool spots like this in business for a long time.

Anyway, back to the strange gig. Having just returned from a week-long whirwind trip to L.A. at 12 the night before, I must admit I was under practiced...and jet-lagged as a motha. Upon arriving at the club, I noticed that the outside lights were off. Shortly, I found myself on the top rung of a rickety ladder replacing bulbs in hopes that we could get them working again. No such luck. Back inside, I had a bit of trouble from the house PA, having not used it on my previous gig. Then, two songs into the set, a table up front broke a bottle, spilling the entire contents of a beer into someone's lap. They got up and left, as did the table in front who were a bit shocked by my use of distorted guitar. This left a huge HOLE in the crowd--which, for some reason, mixed with my jetlag just enough to throw me off my game. My stories about my week in L.A. didn't seem to resonate cuz most folks at the show apparently had not spent much time there. I soon realized the crowd was beginning to slip away from me, but couldn't figure out for the life of me how to win them back.

Luckily, my friend Ladd Van Devender showed up to sit in...and then it dawned on me. I asked some of my friends to move up to the front table. When I returned to the stage for a few more songs, I actually felt like the Lizard King--I could do anything. It was probably the best few minutes of solo performance I've ever put together. I think I learned a valuable lesson--you can't generate excitement if you can't feel it. Fill the front with the party people!

As for Ladd's set, I was really impressed with his performance and his songs. They were quirky, atmospheric, and earthy all at once. Although I was unable to return the favor by sitting in at his Saturday night gig, I hope that we can work out something to do together in the future.

Thanks to all of those who managed to stay until the last note was played. Sorry to those who got freaked out, broke a bottle, and ran. I'll funk you next time! I promise!

Listen to Brian's music now!