Tim Stopulos
Just Another Weekend
Running diary from 2/26 - 2/28:
Thursday 2/26
8:45 PM - Arrive at Lucky's in the pouring rain. Not a soul in the building besides the bartender.
9:30 PM - Our equipment is set up. The place is still a ghost town. We're supposed to play at 10 mind you.
9:50 PM - We've now been there over an hour, and nobody has shown up. I'm thinking we're getting sent home tonight. Which is unprecedented.
9:57 PM - Three friends arrive and effectively save our show.
10:00 PM - Start playing to a crowd of about 10 people (quick jump from 3 people to 10 in 3 minutes, I know), which was great. Everybody there was in it to win it, even if it was a short time. I can't tell you how great it is having people like that at a bar on a Thursday night. Makes my job a lot easier.
11:21 PM - Justin tells his 'Leper' joke to mixed reactions, most of which are awkward murmurs.
11:33 PM - Somehow get talked into playing "I Saw the Sign" by Ace of Bass. I can honestly say I never thought I would perform that song in my lifetime. The most disturbing part of the whole thing was that I don't think I missed a single lyric. It pains me to have written that last sentence.
11:54 PM - Mark Holden (aka Biggum B.) jumps on 'stage' to play harmonica on 'Ants Marching'. Always great energy when he's rocking.
Friday 2/27
12:29 AM - Played 'Professional' (a newer original) as requested by Nikki. It was interesting because that song has been having trouble finding its home with the band. Something is undeniably off about it when we go full band, but when we scale it down to the Trio (which uses percussion instead of drums, and keyboards instead of bass) it's pretty much on fire. It will be interesting to see how that song shakes itself out.
1:21 AM - Closed down the set with 'Gravity' by Mayer. It was hot.
2:20 PM - Hit the road for Davenport, Iowa. We have two shows today. One at the Starting Line in Davenport, and one in Chicago, at Bar Louie. Don't ask me why we agree to play two shows in one night, three hours apart. You won't get a coherent answer. Anyway, we're supposed to be in Davenport by 4:30 or so, and that's not going to happen, unless we circumvent all sorts of laws, and I can assure you my car is not up to the challenge.
4:58 PM - Arrive at the Starting Line, set up in a hurry. We play for a few hours to a relaxed crowd, and of course, towards the end (as it always does) the energy starts to pick up.
7:41 PM - Ben Folds medley.
8:07 PM - I find myself playing some of the most ridiculous things onstage. We go through a period in which I play 'Ogeidnas Nemrac' (which is Carmen Sandiego to those of you who weren't with me at the beginning), 3 different Mario Bros. levels, the Family Matters theme as well as Full House's a capella. I'm a clown.
8:24 PM - Mary Fran and Mike Stopulos make separate appearances on cajon (Justin's percussion instrument) for a couple songs. What a professional product I have.
8:45 PM - End the show with the Greatest and Best Song in the World.
9:30 PM - Close up shop at the Starting Line. We gotta get back on the road pretty soon to make it back for our late night show at Bar Louie (1:30 AM).
9:50 PM - After a few minutes of looking for my keys, I discover that they are, in fact, on the front seat of my car. Which is securely locked. The spare key? It's in Chicago.
10:15 PM - Scrambling to figure out a way to get my car unlocked. Pulling the doors really hard has been fruitless. Consider breaking the window, decide against it shortly thereafter. Call multiple locksmiths and the only response is that my type of vehicle requires assistance from a dealer to unlock. That's not really good news. The police explain that they can only unlock a car if there's a child in the car. Contemplate ways to insert child into car, again to no avail. Keep in mind, we need to be playing music in Chicago in three hours.
10:35 PM - Shannon rescues us by offering to take us to Chicago (thanks MB as well!). We arrange the vehicle, pack it up and we're driving by 11 PM. That gives us two and a half hours to get to Chicago, set up our equipment and start playing. Not happening. Oh, and we need gas and I haven't eaten since about noon.
Saturday 2/28
1:47 AM - Park a block away from Bar Louie. Sit in the car for awhile, thinking about driving off and just going home. We are miserable. Shannon claims she's going to stay in the car during our two hour set. In the middle of the night in downtown Chicago. I politely suggest she doesn't, which she doesn't like. Justin is half asleep in the back, saying horrible things about his life and telling me to take him home. I almost do. But we forge on.
2:00 AM - Justin, the manager at Bar Louie, is really cool about us being late. We get set up, starting playing and light the place up. I mean, it's on fire. The fact that minutes before Justin was sleeping is actually pretty impressive.
2:45 AM - Some drunk guy who's dancing in front of us keeps bumping my mic stand and bothering Shannon. Justin claims that if this guy slips up one more time, he's going to give him a knuckle sandwich, free of charge. No sandwiches were ultimately given.
3:03 AM - First set closes, some guy tells me that I melted his heart.
3:30 AM - After playing hit after hit, we close it down with 'As' by Stevie Wonder. If you were at Bar Louie, thank you. We had so much fun, and you guys all rocked.
4:15 AM - Drive home promising myself that I will never book two shows in one night, three hours apart ever again. I'll let you know how that goes.
Thursday 2/26
8:45 PM - Arrive at Lucky's in the pouring rain. Not a soul in the building besides the bartender.
9:30 PM - Our equipment is set up. The place is still a ghost town. We're supposed to play at 10 mind you.
9:50 PM - We've now been there over an hour, and nobody has shown up. I'm thinking we're getting sent home tonight. Which is unprecedented.
9:57 PM - Three friends arrive and effectively save our show.
10:00 PM - Start playing to a crowd of about 10 people (quick jump from 3 people to 10 in 3 minutes, I know), which was great. Everybody there was in it to win it, even if it was a short time. I can't tell you how great it is having people like that at a bar on a Thursday night. Makes my job a lot easier.
11:21 PM - Justin tells his 'Leper' joke to mixed reactions, most of which are awkward murmurs.
11:33 PM - Somehow get talked into playing "I Saw the Sign" by Ace of Bass. I can honestly say I never thought I would perform that song in my lifetime. The most disturbing part of the whole thing was that I don't think I missed a single lyric. It pains me to have written that last sentence.
11:54 PM - Mark Holden (aka Biggum B.) jumps on 'stage' to play harmonica on 'Ants Marching'. Always great energy when he's rocking.
Friday 2/27
12:29 AM - Played 'Professional' (a newer original) as requested by Nikki. It was interesting because that song has been having trouble finding its home with the band. Something is undeniably off about it when we go full band, but when we scale it down to the Trio (which uses percussion instead of drums, and keyboards instead of bass) it's pretty much on fire. It will be interesting to see how that song shakes itself out.
1:21 AM - Closed down the set with 'Gravity' by Mayer. It was hot.
2:20 PM - Hit the road for Davenport, Iowa. We have two shows today. One at the Starting Line in Davenport, and one in Chicago, at Bar Louie. Don't ask me why we agree to play two shows in one night, three hours apart. You won't get a coherent answer. Anyway, we're supposed to be in Davenport by 4:30 or so, and that's not going to happen, unless we circumvent all sorts of laws, and I can assure you my car is not up to the challenge.
4:58 PM - Arrive at the Starting Line, set up in a hurry. We play for a few hours to a relaxed crowd, and of course, towards the end (as it always does) the energy starts to pick up.
7:41 PM - Ben Folds medley.
8:07 PM - I find myself playing some of the most ridiculous things onstage. We go through a period in which I play 'Ogeidnas Nemrac' (which is Carmen Sandiego to those of you who weren't with me at the beginning), 3 different Mario Bros. levels, the Family Matters theme as well as Full House's a capella. I'm a clown.
8:24 PM - Mary Fran and Mike Stopulos make separate appearances on cajon (Justin's percussion instrument) for a couple songs. What a professional product I have.
8:45 PM - End the show with the Greatest and Best Song in the World.
9:30 PM - Close up shop at the Starting Line. We gotta get back on the road pretty soon to make it back for our late night show at Bar Louie (1:30 AM).
9:50 PM - After a few minutes of looking for my keys, I discover that they are, in fact, on the front seat of my car. Which is securely locked. The spare key? It's in Chicago.
10:15 PM - Scrambling to figure out a way to get my car unlocked. Pulling the doors really hard has been fruitless. Consider breaking the window, decide against it shortly thereafter. Call multiple locksmiths and the only response is that my type of vehicle requires assistance from a dealer to unlock. That's not really good news. The police explain that they can only unlock a car if there's a child in the car. Contemplate ways to insert child into car, again to no avail. Keep in mind, we need to be playing music in Chicago in three hours.
10:35 PM - Shannon rescues us by offering to take us to Chicago (thanks MB as well!). We arrange the vehicle, pack it up and we're driving by 11 PM. That gives us two and a half hours to get to Chicago, set up our equipment and start playing. Not happening. Oh, and we need gas and I haven't eaten since about noon.
Saturday 2/28
1:47 AM - Park a block away from Bar Louie. Sit in the car for awhile, thinking about driving off and just going home. We are miserable. Shannon claims she's going to stay in the car during our two hour set. In the middle of the night in downtown Chicago. I politely suggest she doesn't, which she doesn't like. Justin is half asleep in the back, saying horrible things about his life and telling me to take him home. I almost do. But we forge on.
2:00 AM - Justin, the manager at Bar Louie, is really cool about us being late. We get set up, starting playing and light the place up. I mean, it's on fire. The fact that minutes before Justin was sleeping is actually pretty impressive.
2:45 AM - Some drunk guy who's dancing in front of us keeps bumping my mic stand and bothering Shannon. Justin claims that if this guy slips up one more time, he's going to give him a knuckle sandwich, free of charge. No sandwiches were ultimately given.
3:03 AM - First set closes, some guy tells me that I melted his heart.
3:30 AM - After playing hit after hit, we close it down with 'As' by Stevie Wonder. If you were at Bar Louie, thank you. We had so much fun, and you guys all rocked.
4:15 AM - Drive home promising myself that I will never book two shows in one night, three hours apart ever again. I'll let you know how that goes.
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4 Comments:
Hi. My name is Andreaus. I was one of the 3 guys Jamming out w/ you guys @ Bar Louie in Chicago this previous Friday. (Nate & Rodney were the other two guys) We had, honestly, one of the most Incredible Friday nights that we'd had in a LOOONNNG time. Adding your music, and original take on the selections, to the night, REALLLLYYY made the evening memorable. So, if I didn't say it upon meeting, singing, jamming, and even dancing a bit with you guys.....THANKS A TRILLION! Hope to hear from you guys again in this Great City. Later!
Oh, and I'm the guy...LOL...(Andreaus)....whos heart you melted. Thanx again man.
Andreaus...I'm so glad you guys had fun. Thanks for giving something to blog about! Hopefully we'll see you all soon.
Alright, so I had a performance of my own that night, so I couldn't have come to your show (yet again) but next time you guys play in Davenport, seriously, let me know. I'll make sure I don't schedule anything so I can come hear you since I've never actually seen you live. (And Justin, keep taking care of Cathy for me. Oh how I miss Chicago.)
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