Our big Halloween dress-up show (where we’ll be playing as THE CARS!) is a month away. I am really excited about this one for a couple reasons.
One reason is that we don’t do a lot of covers. Generally, maybe one per show, and typically we play them once (I am fond of more obscure covers, too, but that’s a topic for another post). Doing a full set of someone else’s songs is a learning opportunity for me and the band.
Look, I know what I’m doing. I’ve been writing songs since I was a teenager, and writing good songs since my 30s. I’ve written hits for myself and others (not counting all the stuff that various bands stole from me!) But sitting down and taking apart Ric Ocasek’s songs has been enlightening. His songs, at the core, are pretty simple. But the melodies are strong and hooky. It’s interesting to sit there and investigate a whole bunch of songs by the same person. You start to see patterns, choices, and shortcuts. You learn some new tricks.
What I started to notice is something Ric himself didn’t appreciate until it was too late: all the details provided by Ben, Elliot, Greg, and David. All of those guys contributed licks, riffs, turnarounds, and other parts that elevated the strong basic song to something sublime. Those details aren’t extras, they’re essential to what makes those songs work.
Another reason is that we’ve been offline for several months. I don’t really want to go into the details, but someone in the band had a serious health issue. We’re all glad to be back, and this show is a nice, easy way for all of us to get back to it.
See you soon!
