My Summer Job: The Round-Up

Well, my six-week stint as a "tech" for my town's summer concert series is winding down.  Over the past month-and-a-half, we've had The Beach Boys, The Rascals, The Bacon Brothers, the cast of Jersey Boys, and several other name and non-name acts that drew anywhere from 1,000 to 20,000 people.

Some of the biggest and best shows this year were definitely the Tribute Bands.  Hotel California was the best Eagles tribute I've ever seen, just as Night Fever was the most spot-on Bee Gees knock-off you could ever imagine.  Believe it or not, we even had an excellent Elvis impersonator (Rick Alvitti) this year!  And Big Shot, Long Island's own Billy Joel tribute, drew 20,000 people to our town beach on a Tuesday night, closing down both parkways that lead to the beach for several hours.

The "star" acts were also good, but a little tired.  Al Jardine's wanna-be Beach Boys was a bit like a loose jam in somebody's basement.  The Bacon Brothers (Kevin and the other guy) put on a quality show, but the music was a little too serious for the party crowd of 10-12,000 they drew.  Others like Gary US Bonds, Joey Dee, The Association, and The Grass Roots were simply forgettable.  Felix Cavaliere's Rascals were definitely a highlight and put on a stellar performance.

Most of all, this experience gave me an opportunity to relive my teens, twenties, and early thirties, when I was often part of the acts that people were going out of their way to please.  It was quite humbling to be bringing cold water and sandwiches to many of my former band mates, though!

My job this summer was to connect and operate the huge generators that powered all the equipment, which included massive sound and lighting systems, two RVs and occasional tour buses brought in by the acts, and a giant video screen and projector.  I also ran and protected all the cabling for this equipment, operated the video system, and served as the intermediary between the concert organizers (who have no experience in the music industry) and the acts.

Unfortunately, this gig was a little more physically demanding than my body is ready to handle at 47 years old.  I've spent the entire summer coated in Ben Gay, Gold Bond Medicated Powder and a bunch of stuff you don't want to know about.  There were many opportunities to get on stage and sit behind a fully miked drum kit hooked into an arena-sized sound system, but my arms couldn't even lift a stick most of the time.  Likewise, the numerous cuts and splits on my dry, cracked hands has made playing the uke nearly impossible for several weeks.  I hope to get back to the instrument soon. 

Thanks for all the support when this gig was still a big unknown mystery for me.  I'm glad I did it, and I am confident that it has earned me a steady position with the Town department that presents musical performances all year round.  Perhaps now I will have time to relax, sit back, and practice getting around those "B" chords!