5:00 am and wide awake.  Pretty normal, really, and grateful that it wasn’t a night of only sporadic sleep, which happens more frequently these days.  Lots to do before 10:45 am when my ride arrives; set lists to finalize and copy, clothes to lay out and, of course, the obligatory “hair work.”  Coffee, breakfast and the first buzz of the day.  I’m ready. 

The driver thing isn’t vanity.  COMFEST provides two parking passes for each band, to be used in the designated parking area near the Gazebo Stage (one of six stages…..it’s a large festival) where we’re performing.  The two guitarists bring amps and auxiliary gear and - even though the basic drum set is backlined (provided by the venue) - there are still ancillary percussion items to tote.  I’m happy to give those guys the available passes and arrange for my own transportation to and from the gig.  Age, I fear, has taken its toll on my willingness to wander around the streets in search of parking, and then drag myself and my bass guitar several blocks or more on foot to get to the stage. 

We’re on at noon, the Gazebo’s opening act of the day.  I worry.  I worry that everybody’s cars will perform as expected, I worry that we’ll all make it on time (so as not to worry the staff), and I worry that anybody will even show up to hear us at 12:00 pm on a Sunday.  

The 52nd Annual Community Festival represents the only event of its kind in the entire nation, and the longest running.  It is, and has always been, completely staffed by volunteers; from the folks at the performer gates, the beer sellers, the stage staff, the security, the clean-up crews, the bands and all the other folks who work hard - often in inclement weather - to put the event together.  It’s called a “Party With A Purpose” because, in addition to the free music, it provides exhibition space for artisans and various progressive social information providers.  Planning is year round.  All volunteers.  Pretty amazing that they’re able to pull off a three-day festival like this so smoothly, year after year, and it’s a feather in our collective caps that we’ve been invited to play one of the sought-after slots. 

The stage managers and their crews are amazing.  Each band plays a 45-minute set, so from noon till 10:00 pm daily for three days, it’s a never-ending stream of performers and gear.  As I walk the short distance along Park Street toward the stage, I see that the rest of the band has arrived.  (One worry assuaged.)  A volunteer-piloted golf cart/pickup “truck” arrives, and the volunteers load the gear and head down the path to the stage, followed by the band whom are feeling pretty special to have people handling the move.  Backstage, there are porta potties, a dining tent for shade, various chairs and plenty of ice cold water.  Honestly, amenities like this make playing for free pretty attractive. 

Since we’re up first, we have the luxury of setting up and soundchecking at a relatively leisurely pace.  I mentioned backlining.  I walk onstage and there’s a big ol’ Ampeg SVT bass amp waiting.  The cabinet probably weighs 100 lbs, and it’s pretty much the accepted standard in kick-ass bass amps.  All I have to do is plug in and turn it on.  Voila!  Good to go. This is a real boon to an aging player like me, and I’m thrilled to use it.  The sound crew is ultra-helpful, and it doesn’t take long to get the band up, running and sound-checked with plenty of time to spare until showtime.   

“Time to spare,” is a double-edged sword, from my point of view.  I’ve been doing the musical performance thing for at least 50 years, so I don’t get nervous per se; it’s been my “job” for most of my adult life and now - as a songwriter/band leader - it’s more fun than it ever has been.  I love it, but I HATE to wait, and waiting is, unfortunately, always a part of playing live music, in any setting.  I pace, I check my tuning, and wonder if I’ll remember the words to all the songs we’re playing.  Tick tock. 

Finally, two women take the stage.  They are the onstage hosts for a couple of hours, and they have some general festival business to discuss, as well as plugs for their own community service organizations and various upcoming artists.  One turns around to ask me if we’re ready for our sound-check?  I smile and assure them that sound check is complete and we’re ready to kick ass & take names. 

My current band, The Beatdowns, is a crowd pleaser.  Conceived and pulled together to record and perform some songs I’d written during the Covid period, it is a straight-up, no-nonsense, totally un-ironic rock & roll band, and we’ve enjoyed instant success, both with audiences and local radio.  I love it, and I love playing with these three seasoned professionals---Jim Johnson on drums, Jack Johnston on lead guitar, and my old friend and long-time producing partner Doug Edwards on rhythm guitar.  I can’t imagine another ensemble that makes me feel so safe and confident.   

In spite of my worry, the crowd has turned out in force.  They’ve claimed every inch of available shade on this rather pleasant summer day, and they’re ready.  So are we, and when the hosts announce us, we’re off and running.  It’s an amazing feeling to be standing at the heart of a band like this; it’s visceral, uplifting and utterly thrilling.  Growing, effusive applause and cheers accompany the end of each tune, and become more intense as the set goes on.  There’s a thing (the thing I really love) about playing live music to a crowd that’s ready to hear it; we feed off each other emotionally.  The band puts the psychic energy out there, the crowd doubles it and sends it back, and the whole experience becomes a soul-lifting, joyful whirlwind of fun and emotion. 

The Beatdowns perform flawlessly. I remember most of the words (and use the tried and true “speaking in tongues technique” to cover what I miss).  The crowd pushes us over the top, and then…..it’s over.  We realize that we’ve expended a lot of energy, but we’ve received a lot of energy in return, as well.  We do our best to get off the stage quickly to accommodate the crew and the next act.  And then it’s really over.  There’s a little let down, a sense of acceptance, pride and a growing eagerness to do it all again.  But now, it’s time to load up, meet my ride, and head home to bask in the inviting AC.  Eight hours spent to do a 45 minute gig.  Wow.

Hail, Hail Rock and Roll!  

Billy Zenn has been a staple of the Columbus music scene for decades; fronting his own bands, as well as logging time with Willie Phoenix, Donna Mogavero, and The Professors. His current band is Billy Zenn & the Beatdowns.