I just flew in from London and boy are my arms tired. (cue laff track) But seriously folks, more on that in the future. Because the moment my feet hit the ground in the 614 I was staring at a Cheap Trick show Wednesday night and a gig at Little Rock Bar Thursday for Tree Bar Takeover week. Let’s dive in.
In four hours, Cheap Trick will be playing the soulless Enormodome (opening for Heart) conveniently located just 3 miles from my house. As a notorious Cheap Trick superfan, there isn’t much more I can add at this point that I haven’t already covered. (Oh except this..first time shared..Watershed covers a CT song on our new record: Blow It Up Before It Breaks, available May 28th )
Just for fun Google: Colin Gawel Cheap Trick. I just did. All kinds of nerdy stories and podcasts pop up.
And, although it was already covered on Pencil Storm, I too was shocked to learn of the sudden passing of fellow Cheap Trick superfan and all around musical badass Steve Albini. I love this episode of the Cheap Tracks podcast featuring Steve talking about his love of Rockford’s finest. He will be missed.
Click here for Steve Albini on Cheap Tracks Podcast
Treebar Memories
Two general memories of the Treebar: the first is personal and less interesting. When Quinn and Andy first opened the bar they invited me to play a solo residency every Wednesday night. I had only sporadically played solo outside of Watershed so this was way out of my comfort zone and I tried to talk them and myself out of it. Of course, you cannot tell Quinn no, and I ended up playing two or even three sets once a week for over a year. Some nights there was a crowd but most nights it was me, the tree and a handful of diehard music fans and/or dieharder drinkers.
I do remember when Watershed went back to the studio to record the album 5th of July, early on producer Tim Patalan said “Whoa, what happened? You are way better at guitar. Did you take lessons?”
“No, but I have been playing solo once a week. Do you think that had some effect?”
“That would absolutely do it”
So I owe Quinn and Andy a big thanks for inadvertently kicking my sub-par musical skills up a notch to mediocre.
Memory #2
I probably would have hung out there a lot anyway, but the residency definitely made it my home away from home. The Tree Bar inherited the Columbus musician clubhouse vibe from Little Brothers which had inherited it from Staches and Bernie’s. (It later passed to Ace of Cups.) Sure Andy invited all kinds of CD-101 touring bands to party and Quinn was always there, but you could stop in anytime and run into another local musician.
I remember having my first consequential conversations at the Tree Bar with Joe Peppercorn, Marcy Mays, Brandon Barnett, Patrick Buzzard, Billy Peake, Chuck Oney, Sean Woosley, Lydia Loveless…..and many, many more. The Tree Bar’s unique layout and vibe fostered a friendship among Columbus musicians unlike no other club before it or after. Sure, someone might be playing a set in the actual tree room, but most of the time folks were chatting at the bar in the other room or on the small patio out back. Nobody took offense or felt pressure to watch the acts performing. Sure, folks watched and wandered in and out, but it was a very loose vibe. It was the opposite of a listening room. It was a talking room. And the relationships forged in those comfy confines persevere to this day.
Other random memories:
The League Bowlers often played Thanksgiving Eve at the Tree Bar and Andyman would usually join the band on vocals at some point. He loved to sing “Suspicious Minds” at last call. And after.
Watershed hosted The More It Hurts, The More It Works release party there as well.
Honestly, it’s all a bit of a blur. Over all I would guess I played 70-100 shows there, 3X that just hanging out. But who’s counting? See you at Little Rock Thursday night.