Posted on by Markie

Caligari

  • The date fell right after a period in my schedule that didn’t allow for a lot of practice time so I went in feeling a bit rough and ill-prepared.
  • I usually have multiple instruments on a gig (there’s always a spare). This case? Nah. So when my B string went wonky just before the climax of the proceedings, I did what I could to remedy it, but

    So much fun, and yet…

    Show day finally came for the Caligari pit band. The audience was great, the band did well (maybe with the exception of one guitar/Stick player).

    First, the positives:

    • The idea of taking known songs that (kinda) fit the narrative and then deconstructing/distressing them into a soundtrack for the 1920 horror film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was inspired and really fun to tackle (Kudos to Andrew Bedard and Leo Ashby).
    • Every musician was someone I knew by name and reputation but I had never played with and every musician brought something exceptional to the table.
    • Everyone involved is a top-tier improviser and got to flex those muscles going zero to weird in the blink of an eye.
    • The rhythm section of Ploof/Henkel/Huisman can be best described with one word: wow.
    • Great venue and staff at the Main Street Landing Black Box Theater.
    • MVP status to Adam Ploof, our go-to guy for musical questions.
    • The audience seemed to dig it.
    • The entire process was a lot of fun.

    Rehearsal…

    Colin and Andrew

    The calm before.
    These cats are the best. L-R: Niels Huisman, Greg Rothwell, Avery Cooper, Colin Henkel, Andrew Bedard, Jack Valance, Sam Atallah, Andriana Chobot, Adam Ploof, M.C.

    The other side:

    • The date fell right after a period in my schedule that didn’t allow for a lot of practice time so I went in feeling a bit rough and ill-prepared.
    • I usually have multiple instruments on a gig (there’s always a spare). This case? Nah. So when my B string went wonky just before the climax of the proceedings, I did what I could to remedy it, but