The Maple Street Project: Calendar

Another Club Bohemia gig under our belt.  Fun band dinner prior.  And then, to a crowd of... dozens... we performed the following:

A wonderful evening of music in support of our friend Joe Burstein.

MSP set consisted of old and new. We dusted off the OLD MSP tune "Summer Sailing" (featuring the eye-shutting imagery of "we don't like to wear much clothes when the warm winds blow"), "Running out of August", "All These Things" (by The Killers), "Long Way Back", "Home", "Promenade" and "Behind Me".

The Jamie Walker & Friends (Eric and Rob Sutherland) set included a solo Jamie song and then The Swinging Steaks "All In This Together", a pair of Van Morrison songs (including "Into the Mystic"), Jim Croce's "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" and the closer "My Mind Has A Mind of Its Own" (written by Butch Hanock**), with Bob Littman joining in on mando. Rob played drums on "All In This Together" and the finale, acoustic guitar on the rest.

And Alex The Jester - what can one say?? Great physical comedy with brilliant and innovative recorder playing and nary a word of recognizable English.

Some photos posted on the photo page.

** Had to go to Google to find that factoid! Song made popular by Jimmy Dale Gilmore and Phish.

A very enjoyable gig!

We did some Chanukah stuff ("Chanukah All Over the World", "Jelly Roll", "Night of Eight Candles", "Light on the Hill", a cover of "Jerusalem" by Steve Earl and "Rockin' Dreidle). Also did a few other MSP songs including "Fathers and Daughters", "Behind Me", "Home", "Running Out of August", "Long Way Back" and Kokopelli. That's a lot of music!

After that, Eric backed singer Tyra Penn playing guitar on a jazzy/soulful version of "Greensleeves". Mel, Jim, Bob and Eric then accompanied her on Leonard Cohen's "Suzanne". She did "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" acapella to close out her set.

We then chilled out for The Druken Uncles set - a nice acoustic duo based in the Worcester area.

Nat bad!

Set list included "Running Out of August", "Long Way Back", "Promenade", "Gravity Is Curved", "Nearer to Limbo", "Fathers and Daughters", "Home", a cover of "All These Things", "Red Blues" and "Kokopelle"

Performing as The Maple Street Project (slightly reduced) we played three songs for the assembled throng. George wasn't able to make this gig so we played as a quartet. Opened with "Beyond Imagined", then did "Holy Sky" and concluded with Mel's song called "Poccano" - and oldie but goodie from long ago. It was hot! It was early! It was crowded. Glad to be a part of the festivities.

We were there. Most of the world wasn't! But still a fun time and... Manny hit his 500th. And we got it all on video.

Set list included a brand new song performed for the first time, Mel's "Twilight Mystery".

We opened with "Red Blues" followed by "Elephant", "Greyhound Bus", "Behind Me", "Twlight Mystery", "Kokopelli" and "Prmoenade".

Thanks to friends, family and fans who turned out. And (for Team China) sorry about that "21 or older" thing... Who Knew?

An interesting gig to be sure! First of all, how amazing to see the Newman fields set up like ... Woodstock (without porta sans)!

The candle-illuminated makeshift track area. Two tent city communities. Campfires. Coleman lanterns. And a steady parade of walkers. An awesome sight from our makeshift stage area.

We performed as a trio, starting about 12:10 AM and playing only for about a half hour (to allow those who were trying to sleep to get that badly needed rest). Jim wasn't able to be there (in Colorodo for a convention). Mel was unable to join us due to a previous commitment. Thus our "reduced" ranks.

Set list was "Behind Me", "Promenade", "Red Blues", "Holy Sky", "Beyond Imagined" and "Ordinary Song".

Fun to play outside. Interesting to play in the near total darkness! Very interesting to perform in this configuration! A privilege to take part in the Relay for Life.

MSP opened it's fall performance season with a 9 o clock show downstairs at the venerable Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, MA. The turnout was excellent and the coterie of newly minted songs was greeted with enthusiasm. The management asked for a return appearance, which will no doubt take place in the Sping of '08.

Nice to see Micky Bliss again who was a fine host and did a great job with the sound mix.

We premiered 3 totally new songs in our 45:00 set ("Behind Me", "White Lined Paper" and "Elephants") and presented a few re-worked versions of older MSP songs in addition to tunes from our usual set list.

Jim used his full drum kit (first time live if we're not mistaken) and the larger amps created a much more robust sound than we have had in smaller venues in the past.

Bob & Eric

What a great evening - as close to "Woodstock" as we're likely to get! It was our 2nd opportunity of the summer to play for a home town crowd. And they just kept streaming in. Every time I looked up, there were more folks arriving, with many families close by the band stand taking advantage of the kid face painting and pony rides. OK - we know most were there to reserve their spot for the massive fireworks display later that night. But people is people - and they all bring ears! For a band that plays primarily original material, getting the music heard is a rush.

We did two long sets, staring at 5P and going till 7 when "The Reminisants" took over at the far end of the football field. I'll admit up front that I envy their equipment, the large stage, and the fact that they had roadies!

Post show feedback from friends and relatives was very positive. We opened with a cover of "After The Gold Rush" then did originals for the balance of the first set. After a brief break (special thanks to Mountain Mike for providing the chilled refreshments), we took a bit of a risk and did a relatively unrehearsed medley of "Helplessly Hoping" by CSN and two Beatles tunes "In My Life" and "Blackbird". It was then back to MSP material for the balance of the show. The finale - as we were running out of performance time: "Running Out of August", of course!

This will probably be our last live show for a while. We don't have anything booked for the balance of July, and Mel is traveling out west for most of August. But it has been a very busy 6 months, as the "Diary" entries from our past gigs document. Probably a good time to take a break, refresh our musical muse, and perhaps write some new songs. I'm sure we'll get back into the recording studio in September/October. Time will tell...

Eric

An outdoor gig in our hometown on a splendid early summer evening, with the wondrous odors from local restaurants wafting past on the gentle bug-free breeze. It doesn't get much better. Well... it could have been better. Someone might have brought us some food (but, to be fair, that wasn't part of the arrangement)!

We were set up in front of Needham town hall - with our guest drummer, Ben Atkind, up on the steps. A nice crowd gathered on the common before us with many enjoying a picnic dinner. There were families with youngsters... seniors... and lots of ages in-between - all quite attentive and responsive. Such nice, happy faces to look out upon!

We played from about 6:30 right up past 8P. Thankfully, the sound system worked out well - with the vocals out front atop the instruments. Near as we can tell, a good time was had by all. If you were there - thanks for coming out.

Eric

Dear diary -

Well THAT was fun! Great venue. Huge stage. Usual Benz-Getz amps but a far better sound system. A good, enthusiastic crowd with many familiar faces. And generally terrific bands all night long (my personal favorite was probably "Brake For Moose" - they might go all the way). Not yet sure how we fared but whatever the results, we've had a blast with Emergenza and - to a man - learned a ton about the craft of live performance on a shared bill. Lots of things can (and do) go wrong when you don't have much time to set up - it's how one copes that makes the difference! For a studio band, that is a tricky lesson but we're learning.

We got lots of positive feedback. Many of the younger musicians were quite complimentary which is always pleasant. Lots of Love and support backstage.

To all who attended - thanks! Can't wait to see the pics taken by Mr. MJ Maloney - those will be posted to the MSP Photo Gallery soon. We even have a video - thanks to Roberta. Why haven't we videotaped a show before? Simple answer: we never remember to bring the camera! We should post a song on YouTube or our MySpace page. If I can figure out how to do it, we might!

It was a loooong day - as the MSP Quartet played at 1:30P in Needham (a free gig for the Arts Society which Mel couldn't make due to a conflict)... then dashed into Boston for a 3:30 sound check at the paradise (where I got a $20 parking ticket)... Drove back to Needham for dinner... then headed back into town for an 8:30 call time. Don't know about the others in the band but I was very happy about bedtime when it arrived! I think Mel would agree having spent the last 36 hours or more in box/packing hell...

While it is never a good idea to use new gear at a major gig, the Taylor T-5 acquitted itself quite well on "Beyond Imagined" in its on-stage debut - sounds awesome through a direct box...

As for the set list:
- Behind Me
- Promenade
- Gravity is Curved
- Desparate Hands (Home)
- Beyond Imagined
- Running Out of August

Cheers
Eric

A nice gig on a bittersweet occasion. The Kirkland has been very good to us over the past few years - one of the places that we could count on for a regular gig. And always an excuse for a pre-gig band dinner at Bukowski's Tavern! Their closing will leave a void for us and many other bands.

We were part of a very fine evening - 3rd Shift Jazz opened (among other great tunes - Stevie Wonder's "Big Brother") and we were followed by Porch Party Mammas - who reminded me a ton of a female version of Subdudes (Subdude-ettes?). Great harmonies and enthusiasm!

We did the basic set we've been playing lately... Vocals sounded good and we seemed to have a decent balance with the instruments. While it would have been nice if we'd had a bigger MSP crowd, we've been going to the "fan well" fairly often lately. Hopefully folks will turn out in force for the Paradise gig on June 2nd.

Anyhow - fairwell, good Kirkland! Thankfully we have a slew of MJ Maloney photos to preserve the memories!

Eric

Thanks to the hard work of TBS Brotherhood, this turned out to be a wonderful night. Over $1,600 was raised for medical care for the homeless.

The bands on the bill were terrific. Rick Peckham and his trio put on a clinic (and proved why it pays to have extra amp fuses on hand!). This Crazy Thing overcame some crazy sound system issues and delivered a set of classic songs and tight 3 part harmonies. Jamie Walker unveiled a great new song and captivated the audience with some Swing Steaks tunes - and did a great cover of "My Mind's Got a Mind of Its Own" augmented by Bob (on mando) and Mel (Harmonica) with Rob Sutherland on drums. Last but not least MSP turned in a nice set, with Jamie joining us for an encore of "Holy Sky".

We had about 80 people on hand and look forward to doing it again next year!

Note to selves: Mid week gig in town on a rainy night is probably not a good idea! Nice venue. Very helpful and thorough sound tech. And always a plus for us to get added experience in a new and different locale. We'll just consider this an off site rehearsal with a nice sound system and a fully stocked bar!

Eric

Well... it may all end here! But it was certainly a great experience. What a thrill to play on the big stage - and with both a house mixer and a separate on-stage monitor mixer. Vocals sounded just awesome. That was the good news.

On the negative side, we had "issues" with instrument tuning and effects pedals... So I'm not sure we really "wow"ed anyone who was attune to such things (admitedly, not everyone is)!

We got some nice feedback from folks who dig what we do - and that was certainly appreciated. Crystal ball gazing, I don't see how we could possibly move on to the next round but... we'll see! Note to selves: gotta get on-stage tuners. Those cute stand alone "folk" units are useless in bigger venues.

Kudos again to the guys who run Emergenza - they could not have been more helpful and are all cool dudes. Thank God for CVS earplugs. It was just a tad LOUD out in the audience!

Cheers!
Eric

Set list: Promenade, Gravty is Curved, Home, Beyond Imagined, Running out of August + Bed Blues.

Sitting at my computer on the "morning after" reflecting on the show. Firstly, we were delighted by the attendance - probably 125 people... The space was nicely filled and it was a treat to see so many familiar faces. The decision to have the CD release party locally was bourn out by the number of friends "kicking back" with us. The MSP beer coasters were certainly a nice touch - kudos to Mel for getting those printed up. Our "snacks" buffet was also a good thought though I must confess I never got to partake... Too busy saying "hi" to folks and doing the bar-refill thing... But holding a guitar pic with Buffalo Wing fingers isn't an easy task, so it is probably just as well.

The set up was relatively easy (in case you're wondering, the Needham Sheraton has the best luggage carts in the hotel industry!). While it is always a bit stressful getting all our sound equipment to work optimally - the true "show" occurs during set up and sound check as we attempt to "problem solve" without resorting to violence - in the end, we seemed to find a good balance between "crowd volume" and stage monitors. Several people commented that it was "perfect bar music" - easy to listen but not so overpowering that it precluded conversation. I guess that means they weren't hanging on every nuance of the lyrics... Damn!

Performance wise... it's probably a good thing that we weren't recording a live CD! But the room vibe was great and no one seemed to mind if a lyric was reinvented or a harmony was slightly unharmonious. Most of the time, it's only the band that is aware of such things anyhow. It was a treat to have a whole evening to ourselves (2 sets and about 90:00 of material) in the company of so many friends and family.

Note to selves: gotta pick up a few additional performance mics before the next gig! Special thanks to Buff Nigel (aka Albuquerque Chad) for splendid roadie contributions and to Heidi for the proper pre-show blessing!

Eric

When we turned up for the soundcheck at 4:30, I said to the guys "This'll either be fantastic or a disaster, and nothing in between" as we cringed from the roar eminating from the (youthful) band on stage. But the house sound dudes really knew their stuff and were terrific in helping us get set up. The equipment provided was excellent - Genz Benz amps and a full drum set. Jim was in drummer heaven - surrounded by all manner of cymbals and other things to bang on. I was in bass player heaven with a very substantial bone rattling beast to play through. I can't say what was going through the mind of George, Bob and Mel but there was a lot of grinning on display.

Our sound check went quite well, leaving us with hope for the gig... and 4 hours to kill. So we headed back to Needham for a nice meal at Pho Pasteur with a leisurely mosey back into town.

The gig itself was a fab experience. Thanks to all our friends and family who turrned out! The room was fairly full, the stage monitors allowed us to hear ourselves better than we usually can, and while I wouldn't say we were at our best (hearing the recording afterwards, I was correct in that assessment!), it was a ton of fun. The instrument switches went well - albeit with a few surprises here and there which George disguised by blasting Hendrix-style pedal sound washes over the crowd.

We were told later that it was hard to hear the lyrics but the vocal mix did at least provide a good sense of melody. That's miles ahead of some other gigs we've done!

Regardless of how the competition turns out, the next time we're back at the Midle East we'll be much better prepared, at least knowing what to expect.

Eric

We dusted off our PA and low and behold it all worked fine! Jim's accordian came up lame in the sound check (some sort of reed came unglued) but we kept our composure and... adapted! The show itself went off fairly well. The Fay kids are a great crowd, participating with enthusiasm. The first half of the set was our Chanukah material. We then did another 5 MSP songs, including a reprise of "Light One Candle" with our friend Nick Noble - a teacher at Fay - joining us on vocals. And... we sold a ton of CDs! Love the Fay School.

Eric

'Twas the night of chanukah...
We looked all thru the shul
for a stand to put our lyrics... Its lack was just cruel

Upon whom did our improvizational eye land
than young Jeremy the human music stand!

Thanks to Mr. Sutherland for holding up the cards and making lyrics right. What fun it was to play and sing our Chanukah songs that night...

Vey is mir, Vey is mir...
Can you connect the dots?
What a goyish rhyme this is... The rabbi's gonna plotz!

From the band's point of view, another lesson in coping with little stage surprises. From the audience perspective, we're told it was a pretty decent show! The Kirkland Cafe can be a tricky place to play because the sound we hear on stage may or may not be what the folks are hearing through the PA. Nonetheless, nice to be back. The crowd was a reasonable size and enthusiastic. Jim played particularly well - at times smacking those cymbals like there was no tomorrow. What was in that beer? Thanks to all who attended, especially Janice & Mr. Camera.

Eric

What a great evening! Nice to be a part of this. Wish the sound system had been better (especially for the rocker dudes that started the 2nd half). Nonetheless, we got some nice comments after the show. Making people happy is what its all about! The 4 song set list featured an uptempo version of "Home" as well as the live premiere of "Red Blues". Mike Maloney was the official photographer so we'll probably have some great new snaps for the web site!

Eric