Carlos & Charlie's 04-29-07

The Return to Hi-Lo 04-28-07

MAGIC

Apple Bar has always been a special venue for us. Not only is it where our manager Clif Loftin first saw us play, but it has also played host for numerous great meridianwest performances. Last night was no exception. From the intro of “Feather” to the last chord of “Revolution," the entire set had an inescapable energy that consumed both the band and the audience. The show transformed the small, wood and brick second story of Apple Bar, into a massive concert hall. Even though it was just David, Ryan, and I, at certain parts of the night I swear I could hear an orchestra behind us. The crowd was unbelievable as well. For one of the first times, the people in the audience that had never heard us before were clapping and cheering just as loud as the faithful. We even got a standing ovation with the audience screaming, "ENCORE, ENCORE!!!!" Personally, the show will always have a special meaning, because it was the first show in several months that I felt like my old self vocally. Thank you to everyone that came out that night and helped make it such a great moment in the timeline of meridianwest. ~Mark

Sometimes we need to be careful what we wish for. On Wednesday we were invited to the Parish to play with two other great bands on a big stage with big lights -- big sound in a big room. The only problem was that we were sandwiched in between these two bands with 15 minutes to set up, no soundcheck in a big room that seemed to go on for miles. Our fans are so great because they came out to a place we had never played before on the side of town that we hardly ever play and paid a cover charge to which they aren’t used to paying. But even with a lot of our fans there, the room felt somewhat like a ghost town to us. It’s funny because the one thing that we would normally complain about was not really an issue. The sound at the Parish is one of the best rooms (acoustically) in Austin and I think we got a small glimpse of what the kind of sound we will have in the future. But, with that said there is just something about a smaller more intimate room that really brings out the best in meridianwest. Now don’t get me wrong, when we are able to fill a large room like that it will be amazing, but playing in a venue where the crowd is close enough for us to reach out and touch will always feel a bit magical for us.

I think we played very well for the situation and as always it is a learning experience. We had some friends of ours shooting video of the show and hopefully it turned out good. I think we looked good up on a big stage with some proper lights and sound. I think we could get used to it. And we were so glad to have met the guys from Live Oak Decline and Moses Mayfield. Both bands were a class act and had nothing but good things to say. We want to thank those guys and our fans for a great night and for supporting meridianwest. ~Ryan

early morning....................

So today was a little bit different than a typical day for us. We started the day a good 6 hours before we normally do. We were invited to play the Fox News morning show this morning --severally disrupting our normal routine of sleeping in until at least 11 a.m.

Come on, we are muscians in a band............so we’re supposed to sleep late!! Right??

But as hard as it was to get up before sunrise, it was worth it to get to play in front of potentially thousands of people as they got ready for work. I honestly don’t know how they do it that early in the morning, but the men and women who work at the station were there at the studio well before we were; and they looked like they had been up for hours. I guess that’s what coffee is good for. It’s funny seeing a place that you’ve seen on T.V. so many times and then seeing it in person. It kind of takes the magic away from it, even though it is just a news station. But you’d think it would have a kind of glitz and glamour to it, however, in actuality it was a very normal low key place with normal people just doing their job. It was smaller than you’d think and much brighter than it should be at 6’oclock in the morning. It kind of felt more like a large basement than a place where people tune in for the news.

Anyway, we had done this one other time, so we were kind of ready for the 8 second sound check and the "on the spot" 4 count from the production manager cuing us to play because that was all the time we had to prepare. We played “Static” to promote the release of the “Austin Unsigned” CD. We were kind of disappointed because we didn’t have time to play any other songs. We were hoping to play “Revolution” as they were finishing up but the show was over during what they call a “wrap”. So, by the time we packed up and got out of there we had spent a good hour or two setting up for a 5 minute “show." But all in all this was just another step in the grand scheme of things to prepare us for performances (hopefully not as early) in the future.
So naturally after the show we headed to eat like we normally do and then off to bed. I guess it was a real gig after all!

Sidelined

For the past few months it has been difficult for me to sing. I kept on trying to hide it, but the more I did the harder it became to sing. With the occasional crack in my voice during a show, I felt like I was deconstructing in front of audiences. I had spent years of my life perfecting my singing and priding myself in my vocal power and range. Tragically, both those qualities were starting to slip away. With the encouragement of loved ones, I went to go see a doctor. It was one of the best decisions of my life. She told me that because of a combination of allergies, acid reflux, and vocal strain, my vocal cords were very swollen and irritated. So needless to say, I have been taking it easy (and a lot of medicine) for the last couple of weeks so I could heal. The good news is that the doctor assured me with a few weeks rest and the proper medication I would be good as new!!

Life has a way of breaking you down before you can get stronger. I’m happy to say that in a few weeks I will be stronger than I ever was, because even at my best I was still struggling with acid reflux and allergies, I just didn’t know it. I can’t wait to sing this Friday night at the Belmont. My voice is going to soar. ~Mark