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“No, I still play. I’m opening for the new band.”
“Oh. Well, why don’t you and the guys start setting up other gigs in nearby towns?”
Why didn’t I think of that? This is the first real business we’ve ever played. It’s better than the house parties we usually play, so I never considered trying to find different venues.
“That’s a good idea, baby.” A small smile starts to form as I lean in and press a kiss to her lips.
“We’ll talk about it with the rest of the guys tonight,” I say, pulling away to put my apron back on.
* * *
Alissaand I both finish our shifts and have dinner at the grill before heading home. When we pull into the driveway, the guys are already there, unloading the amps.
I let everyone into the house, Alissa, Mark, and Zach. No girls this time. As they start setting up, I take a seat on the couch and pull my guitar into my lap.
“So, I have some news, guys.”
Mark stops setting up his drums, and Zach quiets his amp.
“My dad has another band lined up for Saturday night. We’ll still play, but we’re opening for them instead of the other way around. They go on at ten and play until midnight.”
“Dude, what was your dad thinking? Doesn’t he know anything about line ups?” Zach asks.
I laugh. “No, he doesn’t. Right now, he’s only thinking about getting more and more people into his bar. And this band is on a small tour with its own following.”
“They’re on tour? Who is it?” Mark asks from behind his drums.
“I was so pissed off when he told me that I didn’t even bother to ask. But before I left, Doug, the bartender, said it was Busted Lip.”
“Busted Lip? We’re opening for Busted Lip?” Mark asks.
I nod my head. Busted Lip is a band that started in a small town just like us. They’re known up and down the east coast, from New York to Florida. And the best part is they’re an indie band. No managers or company in their pocket. They set up their own gigs, write their own music, and pick when and if they play. Total freedom is rare when you’re in a band, especially if you want to make it big. I’m sure one of these days they’ll sell out to make millions, but right now, they’re the coolest band around simply because nobody tells them what to do.
“That’s fucking awesome!” Zach says.
“I know. I was pissed at first, but knowing that it’s Busted Lip, this could be a great opportunity for us. Every record company on the east coast has been trying to sign them. There could be labels there. We could actually get noticed.”
The guys are bouncing off the walls with excitement.
“Alright, calm down,” I say, laughing as they jump around and bang on the drums. “Listen, I think we need to showcase some of our original songs. Nobody’s going to sign a band who plays nothing but covers. We need to show them what we can do.”
“We could play “Lost Without You”,” Mark says as he takes his seat behind the drums.
I grab some paper and write the song down. “That’s a good one, but we don’t want to start with a slow song.” I stick the end of the pen in my mouth and chew on the cap while thinking. “How about we open with a cover song, get the crowd really feeling the music, then we can lead in with an original?”
“We could do Alissa’s song.” Zach says while strumming his bass.
I laugh. “No Blondie.”
Zach joins in on my laughter. “No, I mean “I Love Rock and Roll”.”
I think it over. “You think we can pull off Joan Jett?”
Alissa crashes on the couch beside me. “It was originally done by a British group in the seventies called The Arrows. I think it could work.”
I look over at her. “How do you even know that?”
She grins and winks at me. “You’re not the only one that knows music.”
