World's smallest stage

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 11 Jul 2005 6:31 am

Wer'e firing our booking agent!

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Williams Keyless U12

Charlie McDonald · Post by **Charlie McDonald** » 11 Jul 2005 6:44 am

Ha ha! I'll bet the acoustics are great, if any of them get out the window.
No problems mixing....
At least it's portable, and attracts attention!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 11 Jul 2005 7:12 am

Oh, so THAT's what they mean by BAND IN A BOX!!

Donny Hinson · Post by **Donny Hinson** » 11 Jul 2005 7:26 am

LOL!

Good one, Jim!

On the plus side...at least you're in the shade.[This message was edited by Donny Hinson on 11 July 2005 at 08:27 AM.]

Roger Edgington · Post by **Roger Edgington** » 11 Jul 2005 7:31 am

WOW! How many are in there? I guess you all get along ok and probably don't need monitors. Does anybody ever come up and ask for a hot dog or maybe a taco?

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 11 Jul 2005 7:57 am

For a peso, do the kids get to come up and throw beanbags and try to knock down the band members and win a toy?

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 11 Jul 2005 8:25 am

here's another pic.

dig the shirt!

The stand was placed outside of a subway station. there's 4 of us in there, 2 amps, a small PA, an AKAI mpc4000 sampler, a powerbook laptop, a drum set, a Nord lead keyboard, plus the Thomas U12 in this pic. (boy I wish I had already had my new williams keyless!)

BTW, at one point we almost drew targets on our shirts for people to bean us, but we quickly lost the motivation for that...

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Williams Keyless U12
[This message was edited by Kiyoshi Osawa on 11 July 2005 at 09:29 AM.]

Charles Dempsey · Post by **Charles Dempsey** » 11 Jul 2005 4:38 pm

I was gonna tell you about some of the small stages I've been on, but then I saw the picture. I think you've got me beat.

I dig the shirt!

Charlie

billy tam R.I.P. · Post by **billy tam R.I.P.** » 11 Jul 2005 4:50 pm

Looks like it might be wise to be very prudent on the local cuisine, especially pre-gig.

:d

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 11 Jul 2005 4:59 pm

I thought this was a joke.... I can't believe you actually played inside that.

Is this what I have to look forward to when I "make it" here?

What do you see if you look through the "observa" window?[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 11 July 2005 at 06:01 PM.]

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 11 Jul 2005 5:36 pm

Keep practicing, Jim, and maybe someday, if you're very lucky, you too could have the opportunity...

(Oh yeah: go easy on the frijoles, boys...)[This message was edited by Jim Cohen on 11 July 2005 at 06:37 PM.]

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 11 Jul 2005 5:41 pm

here's the "observa" view:

we actually closed the big door for a while, so people could only see us through the holes.

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 11 Jul 2005 7:00 pm

Is this "Chino y los Cochinos"? Sure don't look like punk rockers.

Love the "Band in a Box" line, ha!

Maybe you could also call this a "package show"?

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 11 July 2005 at 09:14 PM.]

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 12 Jul 2005 11:25 am

No this is not our regular band. Just a sort of side project we prepared specially for this gig. The small playing area was part of the idea from the begining, sort of the gimmick for the show...

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Williams Keyless U12

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 12 Jul 2005 1:20 pm

Yeah, I get that the box is the gimmick, but it still makes for lots of jokes.

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Jul 2005 2:46 pm

Hey Jim and Kiyoshi, do you guys ever get together and jam? Do you share gigs or anything? It's fascinating (to me) to hear of two steel players in Mexico City. It's not like Nashville or Austin or anything, where steel players are coming out of the woodwork...

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 12 Jul 2005 2:57 pm

Yeah right! imagine fitting ANOTHER steel player in there!?!?!
We'd probably end up playing eachother's knee levers and pedals.

Anyway, to answer your question b0b, we haven't jammed. Jim lives a ways out of mexico city. And even when he lived in town last year for a while, his house was an hour and 20 min. drive from mine! Mexico City is a very big place...

Although we should get together, eh Jim? You think it's time yet to start the Mexican Steel Guitar Association?

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Williams Keyless U12

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 12 Jul 2005 8:52 pm

I would NEVER mess with anothers man's lever!

Yeah b0b, you'd think Kiyoshi and I, being 2 out of...what...3?... steel players in the Mexico City area, we'd get together more often or something, but actually we've only met once.

As Kiyoshi said, even when I was in town it was a long drive between. You have to imagine the traffic here. I'm only about 30 miles out of Mexico City now, and we've never made it into town in less than about an hour and a half, with normal traffic, and when the traffic is really bad that 30 mile drive can take 2-1/2 hours sometimes.

Plus, I'm the world's worst person to sit and try and jam with. I've always been this way. Without a band, I just sit there and don't know what to do. Even playing along with a track, if I'm doing a serious recording session, that's different, but I'm one of those guys who can't play at all unless I know it's for real. Hardly worth the drive to try to jam with someone like this, I'm afraid...

About a Mexican Steel Guitar Association, hey you never know, that may happen.

I don't know if I should say anything about this yet, because I don't know if the parties involved are ready to announce it....maybe they already have and I just don't know....

But... a famous American steel player is planning a 10-day visit to Mexico City next month, with appearances on some of the local TV and radio shows, to promote his new CD in Mexico. If I say any more than that you'll probably guess who.

I've been asked to be part of the backup band, on guitar, assuming we can get all the permits and red tape for me to play worked out. I don't believe the steeler is a member of the forum, at least I've never seen him post or send a message through a member.

Maybe if all this comes about as planned it might generate a little interest in the steel guitar, that would be great.

So far, Kiyoshi is ahead of me on local steeling. I've yet to take mine out of the house since arriving here 19 months ago. I've been changing the setup around so much the last 6 months or so, I'm still not even real comfortable with it now, but don't want to go back to the old setup I had. How do guys like BE and Franklin change everything all around and sit down and play it like they've had that setup forever? I can't, I still go for what used to be on it.

I have finally got some things going in the local music scene on guitar, but nothing for the steel yet.

[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 12 July 2005 at 10:01 PM.]

Al Terhune · Post by **Al Terhune** » 12 Jul 2005 8:58 pm

Kiyo -- that has to be one of the funniest things I've ever seen. And yet while I laughed my redneck ass off, it's one of the most clever things I'ver ever seen, too. I'd keep your booking agent! And you look great!

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 12 Jul 2005 9:02 pm

I agree with Al, I laughed like everyone else, but what a clever way to attract attention to a live band, including steel.[This message was edited by Jim Phelps on 12 July 2005 at 10:02 PM.]

Kiyoshi Osawa · Post by **Kiyoshi Osawa** » 13 Jul 2005 6:17 am

A third steeler! OK... I'm sure we can fit him inside the stand also.

That sounds like real good news! I hope everything works out for that to happen.

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Williams Keyless U12

Howard Tate · Post by **Howard Tate** » 13 Jul 2005 6:38 am

How big is the dance floor?

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Howard, 'Les Paul Recording, Zum S12U, Vegas 400, Boss ME-5, Boss DM-3, DD-3, Sierra Session D-10
http://www.Charmedmusic.com

Tony Prior · Post by **Tony Prior** » 13 Jul 2005 11:15 am

are these available for bands to purchase to take on gigs with them to clubs ?

t

Jim Phelps · Post by **Jim Phelps** » 13 Jul 2005 11:32 am

If things got too rowdy, you could just batten down the hatches and ride out the storm.

HowardR · Post by **HowardR** » 13 Jul 2005 1:18 pm

It's a good thing you play a single neck.

we actually closed the big door for a while, so people could only see us through the holes.

You might want to leave the door open 'cause if someone has had too much cervesa to drink, those observation holes may be too tempting for relief....