My first Solo Steel Gig went well!!!

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 28 Apr 2002 11:48 am

I played my first Solo Steel gig this weekend, and it went great!

It was advertised in the paper as a "Pedal Steel Guitar Showcase" from 4-6pm at a local tavern called Duff's Garage.

A local guitar player I know bought this Tavern about a month ago, and we decided to give a saturday afternoon thing a try.

I'm booked to play satuday afternoons in May with our Forums own Ray Montee (me on 6 string acoustic guitar and Ray on 6 string Bakelite Rik).

Anyway...

I get set up with my headset mic and my rhythm tracks on mini-disk, and sure enough some folks who read the ad in the paper came in and sat down right in front of me.

We talked about pedal steel history, and I played a bunch of tunes of different styles, and took time between songs to answer questions about the pedal functions and stuff.

It was fun!

I also played several tunes that use the Atkins/Travis fingerpickin' style (just steel and vocals), and they went over real well too.

I played right up to 6pm and took a break, and had one guy try my steel, and talked shop with some other folks who came in (at least one dobro player and a few players who are fairly new to playing steel).

I decided to play some more and ended up playing till about 7pm when the first of 2 bands scheduled to play that night started hauling their stuff in.

I really enjoyed that gig and it gave me a new confidence in my ability to do solo gigs on steel!

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 28 Apr 2002 8:41 pm

Pete,

Great work ! Sounds like fun.

Bob

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 28 Apr 2002 8:56 pm

Mazel Tov, Pete! I oughta find a little cafe here and set up shop too. Might be fun, eh?
Enjoy!
jc

John Steele (deceased) · Post by **John Steele (deceased)** » 28 Apr 2002 9:09 pm

I wouldn't imagine that just any steel player would be really comfortable with that gig, Pete, but I know you would, and you'd do a great job.
You kind of astounded me with some of your solo playing in the booth in Dallas in March... although I didn't hear you sing this year, I did last year, and I think that would be an explosive combination. Very cool, buddy.
-John

Bill Stafford · Post by **Bill Stafford** » 29 Apr 2002 7:00 am

Hi Pete: Keep up the good work and give my regards to Ray Montee. You will really enjoy his touch and technique.

Bill Stafford

Theresa Galbraith · Post by **Theresa Galbraith** » 29 Apr 2002 7:05 am

Pete,
Way to go!

Pete Burak · Post by **Pete Burak** » 29 Apr 2002 7:51 am

Thanks Friends!

Jim,
Go for it!

Bill,
I've been rehearsing with Ray and I must say, He's got the Bar-Slant-o-matic Touch with Tone to the Bone!
Really inspiring!
-pb

Bob Hayes · Post by **Bob Hayes** » 29 Apr 2002 8:34 am

That's a great Idea Pete. Maybe I'll set up on a street corner somewhere with a long extention cord..and play the music that I want to play!!!!
GV

Jon Light (deceased) · Post by **Jon Light (deceased)** » 29 Apr 2002 12:03 pm

Pete---that's a great report. I'm real happy (and proud) for you. I played someplace recently in a nice informal setting and it was a real pleasure to demonstrate the instrument afterwards to some very curious and awed people. They leave shaking their heads at the complexity of the instrument but also at the range and beauty.

Nice going, Pete!

chas smith R.I.P. · Post by **chas smith R.I.P.** » 29 Apr 2002 4:17 pm

Excellant!

Bill Ford · Post by **Bill Ford** » 29 Apr 2002 6:46 pm

Go for it Pete.....sounds like fun.I did a three piece,Bass,Drums,Steel at the Eagles club for a while,fun,and paid good.That was just before I had to give it up to make a living at a day job.

Bill Ford

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