I'm not sure if someone suggested Lionel Richie as a joke and it just sort of slipped through, or if it was a genuine admission of good music. I was reminded of the scene in Tommy Boy where Chris Farley and David Spade are flipping through channels until they land on a "soft pop" wonder by The Carpenters. Farley and Spade glance at each other and say, "I don't care, we can leave it there if you want. Whatever." A second later it cuts to the two of them singing along at the top of their lungs and sobbing their eyes out. A true guilty pleasure. By now the Lionel Richie "Hello?" meme is still rampant on the internet and I think many younger people view him as another embarrassing moment in 80s music. True enough he was once a member of the ultra-funky Commodores before they went commercial, but Lionel broke free for a solo career just in time to ride that wave and sacrificed his funky cred for a fat paycheck.
So when Richie's "All Night Long" was suggested, I chuckled because I thought I was supposed to, but secretly I thought, "Man, I LOVED that song in high school." I think I acted all blasé, like, "Whatever, we can do that one I guess," and Jason and Cory were like, "Yeah, I mean, whatever." But the minute I bought the song on iTunes and hit play, I was a hundred percent sold.
Then, ironically, I think it turned into a whole metaphor for me about the beginnings of this new band.
"Well my friends, the time has come to raise the roof and have some fun. Throw away the work to be done. Let the music play on."
Jason and Cory put huge effort into getting things together for Scarlet Fever, and all of us practiced and woodshedded our butts off learning the new material, but when it came time for the debut gig at Grandview Cafe, all the "work" of starting a new band faded into the background and the pure joy of playing slammin' party music with great musicians took over.
The place was so crowded that a literal wall of people were packed solidly from the stage all the way to the back of the bar. There were so many old friends who had followed Sharp Circle for its ten-year run, and many new faces who were there on the advice of friends. People were dancing from the first downbeat to the very end of the night, and seeing all of those appreciative faces reminded me exactly what I've been missing for the last three years.
Tim and Kevin dressed up for the event and made each song shine with their horn work. Cory, Jason and Aaron laid down the beat tighter and thicker than ever, and Aaron blew some minds with his lead vocals too. (Oh Darling! Wow!) Scott was immediately back at home with a mic in his hand. Sarah lit the place up with her powerhouse vocals. Phil's keyboard work and his amazing vocals made the package complete. And me? I don't remember playing at all--more just listening to what was going on around me and beaming from ear to ear.
I've written in the past about the feedback-loop created when we play music which makes the people in the club dance, sending that energy right back to us onstage as we play. The seemingly hundreds of laughing, dancing, swaying, stomping and smiling friends made our opening show everything we hoped it could be and so much more.
My friends, this is the start of something huge.
Let the music play on.
So when Richie's "All Night Long" was suggested, I chuckled because I thought I was supposed to, but secretly I thought, "Man, I LOVED that song in high school." I think I acted all blasé, like, "Whatever, we can do that one I guess," and Jason and Cory were like, "Yeah, I mean, whatever." But the minute I bought the song on iTunes and hit play, I was a hundred percent sold.
Then, ironically, I think it turned into a whole metaphor for me about the beginnings of this new band.
"Well my friends, the time has come to raise the roof and have some fun. Throw away the work to be done. Let the music play on."
Jason and Cory put huge effort into getting things together for Scarlet Fever, and all of us practiced and woodshedded our butts off learning the new material, but when it came time for the debut gig at Grandview Cafe, all the "work" of starting a new band faded into the background and the pure joy of playing slammin' party music with great musicians took over.
The place was so crowded that a literal wall of people were packed solidly from the stage all the way to the back of the bar. There were so many old friends who had followed Sharp Circle for its ten-year run, and many new faces who were there on the advice of friends. People were dancing from the first downbeat to the very end of the night, and seeing all of those appreciative faces reminded me exactly what I've been missing for the last three years.
Tim and Kevin dressed up for the event and made each song shine with their horn work. Cory, Jason and Aaron laid down the beat tighter and thicker than ever, and Aaron blew some minds with his lead vocals too. (Oh Darling! Wow!) Scott was immediately back at home with a mic in his hand. Sarah lit the place up with her powerhouse vocals. Phil's keyboard work and his amazing vocals made the package complete. And me? I don't remember playing at all--more just listening to what was going on around me and beaming from ear to ear.
I've written in the past about the feedback-loop created when we play music which makes the people in the club dance, sending that energy right back to us onstage as we play. The seemingly hundreds of laughing, dancing, swaying, stomping and smiling friends made our opening show everything we hoped it could be and so much more.
My friends, this is the start of something huge.
Let the music play on.
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