song. The tune was about communication problems between a guy and a girl—hardly a new topic—but the sincerity of the delivery, along with the guitar riff and the overall vibe, really worked.
After a couple of verses and a chorus, he stopped. “That’s most of it, so far. Like I said, there’s a bridge. Probably half time. Then a solo and a couple of repeat choruses and an ending.”
That all made sense—that’s probably how I would have arranged it, too. But what was more interesting was what he didn’t say. Like,
So, what do you think?
Or,
Do you like it?
He just went back to trying some different chord voicings on the guitar.
“Hey,” I interrupted him. He looked up. “Dude, that’s a freakin’ great song. I can totally hear the drum part, the bass, backing vocals. Hell, I can hear that on the radio.”
“Thanks.”
“You got more originals?”
“Yeah.”
“So why aren’t any of them in our set list?”
He didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, he looked at his watch. “We’d better get going—it’s almost time to meet everyone downstairs for dinner.”
14
“My Best Friend’s Hot”
The waitress turned to me. “And what will the drummer boy be having?”
Jake was right—the staff was really friendly. “The trout sounds good,” I said.
“It is,” she promised. She looked at Glenn. “Okay, guitar hero, what’ll it be?”
“Do you have sushi?”
“Just California rolls,” she admitted.
“Wasabi and ginger?”
“I think I can scare some up for you.”
Glenn thought about it for a second. “Okay, sold.”
“You’re jonesin’ bad, huh?” She pointed up the street. “When you get a chance, head a few blocks that way. There are two places. One right here on Main, and one a block off it, on Bozeman. The real deal, flown in fresh.”
“Thanks—I’ll remember that.”
Brad snickered. “I’ll eat fish,” he said, “but not bait.”
“Whatever floats your boat, honey,” she said. She winked atGlenn, finished writing up the order, and left. It was like she was right out of the old-school-waitress academy, but in reality she was maybe twenty-five, max, and kinda cute. Cracked me up.
As we ate, Brad and Glenn were joking along with the others, and I realized Danny had been right. And they all seemed so relaxed, shooting hoops and kidding around with the staff. To be honest, I was nervous. Not like I was at the audition, thank God, but still … It was our first real gig as a road band, in a big club that was totally new to us, so yeah, I had butterflies. Plus, I’d had to learn like fifty new songs in the past couple of weeks, and I’d be lying if I said I had all of them totally nailed.
Danny must have caught my mood, because he kicked me under the table and made a goofy face. “
Smile
, man. You look like you’re going to the gallows.” He grinned. “Look, here’s how it’s supposed to work—we storm into town, we rock their socks off, we have our way with their women, then we roll on to the next port o’ call like postmodern pirates. What better way for a young buccaneer such as yourself to spend his summer, right?”
I laughed. “Well, now that you put it that way …”
He nodded. “Relax, bro. You’re rock solid.”
I almost said
Aaaargh, matey!
but
matey
reminded me of
mate
, which reminded me of
Toby
, which of course reminded me of the Sock Monkeys and Kyle and the wonderfulness of
that
whole thing. So I just said, “Thanks,” and let it go.
Brad got up and stretched. “I’m gonna go back to the room and chill,” he said. “Meet back here at a quarter till for preflight?”
The others agreed, and one by one they took off, until I was sitting by myself. I was finishing off my water when our waitresscame by. “Looks like they ran off and left ya, huh?” I nodded. She sat down and said, “So tell me, honey. The hot one—does he have a girlfriend or anything?”
I honestly didn’t know who she was referring to. I mean,
After a couple of verses and a chorus, he stopped. “That’s most of it, so far. Like I said, there’s a bridge. Probably half time. Then a solo and a couple of repeat choruses and an ending.”
That all made sense—that’s probably how I would have arranged it, too. But what was more interesting was what he didn’t say. Like,
So, what do you think?
Or,
Do you like it?
He just went back to trying some different chord voicings on the guitar.
“Hey,” I interrupted him. He looked up. “Dude, that’s a freakin’ great song. I can totally hear the drum part, the bass, backing vocals. Hell, I can hear that on the radio.”
“Thanks.”
“You got more originals?”
“Yeah.”
“So why aren’t any of them in our set list?”
He didn’t say anything for a long time. Finally, he looked at his watch. “We’d better get going—it’s almost time to meet everyone downstairs for dinner.”
14
“My Best Friend’s Hot”
The waitress turned to me. “And what will the drummer boy be having?”
Jake was right—the staff was really friendly. “The trout sounds good,” I said.
“It is,” she promised. She looked at Glenn. “Okay, guitar hero, what’ll it be?”
“Do you have sushi?”
“Just California rolls,” she admitted.
“Wasabi and ginger?”
“I think I can scare some up for you.”
Glenn thought about it for a second. “Okay, sold.”
“You’re jonesin’ bad, huh?” She pointed up the street. “When you get a chance, head a few blocks that way. There are two places. One right here on Main, and one a block off it, on Bozeman. The real deal, flown in fresh.”
“Thanks—I’ll remember that.”
Brad snickered. “I’ll eat fish,” he said, “but not bait.”
“Whatever floats your boat, honey,” she said. She winked atGlenn, finished writing up the order, and left. It was like she was right out of the old-school-waitress academy, but in reality she was maybe twenty-five, max, and kinda cute. Cracked me up.
As we ate, Brad and Glenn were joking along with the others, and I realized Danny had been right. And they all seemed so relaxed, shooting hoops and kidding around with the staff. To be honest, I was nervous. Not like I was at the audition, thank God, but still … It was our first real gig as a road band, in a big club that was totally new to us, so yeah, I had butterflies. Plus, I’d had to learn like fifty new songs in the past couple of weeks, and I’d be lying if I said I had all of them totally nailed.
Danny must have caught my mood, because he kicked me under the table and made a goofy face. “
Smile
, man. You look like you’re going to the gallows.” He grinned. “Look, here’s how it’s supposed to work—we storm into town, we rock their socks off, we have our way with their women, then we roll on to the next port o’ call like postmodern pirates. What better way for a young buccaneer such as yourself to spend his summer, right?”
I laughed. “Well, now that you put it that way …”
He nodded. “Relax, bro. You’re rock solid.”
I almost said
Aaaargh, matey!
but
matey
reminded me of
mate
, which reminded me of
Toby
, which of course reminded me of the Sock Monkeys and Kyle and the wonderfulness of
that
whole thing. So I just said, “Thanks,” and let it go.
Brad got up and stretched. “I’m gonna go back to the room and chill,” he said. “Meet back here at a quarter till for preflight?”
The others agreed, and one by one they took off, until I was sitting by myself. I was finishing off my water when our waitresscame by. “Looks like they ran off and left ya, huh?” I nodded. She sat down and said, “So tell me, honey. The hot one—does he have a girlfriend or anything?”
I honestly didn’t know who she was referring to. I mean,
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