Bassists and drummers always seem to get the short end of the stick. Well maybe not drummers (everyone knows they get all the girls) but, broadly speaking, they aren’t front and center when performing live which puts them at somewhat of a disadvantage. We have never taken Steve or Larry for granted. Steve is the brains behind the band and Larry is the band’s Yoda. Without Steve or Larry, we six-string toters would never know how to get from point A to point B without dying or at least coming out heavily maimed. That’s no secret.
Our last two practices were perfect examples of what they bring to our music. In one practice, I had a new song I had written out for the upcoming EP. It’s a pretty chill song written on an acoustic guitar which was arguably somewhat dour and so it needed some balance. I actually couldn’t imagine it with drums but Larry started playing and when he hit the bridge he added this beat that really added this lovely hopeful feel to the song that was exactly what was missing. Not only did Larry move the song in a different direction but it also helped shape the lyrics for the bridge which I had been having trouble with. Genius!
In the other rehearsal, Steve was out because he was busy closing on a new home (congratulations Steve & Shelly). That meant no bass and while we were able to run through the songs, his not being there made the songs sound… well… stupid. Without his frequencies filling in the low-end and without his notes playing off of what we were playing, everything sounded thin, incomplete, and hollow. Also, the feel that Steve adds to the songs are just so critical to what’s happening that the material loses all its heart without him there.
So that’s the thing about truly working as a band. Each member is essential to the band and who we are. You couldn’t take away Steve or Larry and expect us to function any more than if you were to rip out your heart and brain. So, here’s to our bassist and our drummer – Steve and Larry – without whom we’d be lost. Skål!
