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Chapter Five
-Elliot-
Craig Masters’, the owner of The Piano Bar, phone number lit up my phone. I furrowed my brow and looked at the small clock on my computer: 10:48 a.m. . . . on a Tuesday? Why would Craig be calling me on a Tuesday?
Grabbing my phone I swiped that green bar, “Hey, this is Elliot.”
“Hey Elliot, I was hoping you’d answer.” I could hear Craig’s smile as his deep voice rang through my phone's speaker.
“For you Craig, I’d always answer,” I replied, leaning back in my chair, spinning to face the window. My office sat on the ground floor, so the first thing I saw was the parking lot, but the trees—currently covered in snow—were always what my eyes were drawn to. “What brings you tocall me on Tuesday?”
“Well,” he began, “I have it on good authority there will be a talent scout here this Friday.”
I sat up right in my seat, my jaw dropping slightly.
“From Pacific Sound Records,” he finished.
“A California label,” I said, shock filtering through my voice.
“The one and only.”
Pacific Sound Records wasn’t a large label by any means, but it was one that I’d had my eye on. If we could get picked up and signed by them, there was a good chance we could go further in the music world with record sessions, local gigs, and maybe even tours. Wouldn’t it be something to see my face on a t-shirt? I let out a heavy breath and flopped back on my chair.
I did a quick mental check of my calendar, only to groan when I realized…
“Only one problem Craig, we don't play this Friday.” I ran my hand through my hair.
“We can rearrange to get your guys on the stage. Call Bennett and Jameson, make sure they’re available Friday. And Chase too.”
“Ha, yeah, can’t forget Chase. I’m down to play, and I guarantee the guys will be too, especially if there’s a scout in the crowd. The Piano’s won't mind the switch?”
Dylan and Tate were the best piano players The Piano Bar had to offer and when we weren’t on stage, they were.
“They’ve already agreed. So, we will see you Friday at the same time as always.”
“Sound check at four, performance at eight.” I smiled, a rush starting at my toes and trailing up to my stomach. Butterflies formed as the news finally seemed to hit. I smiled, the widest grin, and only my computer was there to see. “I’ll call the guys and shoot you a quick text. Thanks for this Craig, I owe you one.”
“When you make it big, do your first paying gig with us. That’ll cover everything. See ya Friday, Elliot.” Craig didn’t give me a moment to say goodbye before the line went dead.
I didn’t even hesitate. Before my phone could close down, I dialed Bennetts number.
“Bennett,” I said as soon as he answered, “you’re not going to believe this.”
To say the guys were in disbelief would be an understatement. They all showed up at my office faster than I anticipated. We sat in my office, Bennett sitting at the visitor seat, Jameson on the small sofa, and me behind my desk. Chase paced the room running his hands through his hair so much so that the sweat from his palms made it stand on end. Bennett instantly started writing the set list, even throwing a new song idea my way, and Jameson was rapid fire texting everyone he knew.
Bennett shot up from his seat and handed me the crumbled piece of paper full of his chicken scratch. He had about twenty songs on the list, half covers, half ours.
“This is more than we play in a night, this is a full blown concert.” I looked up at him, “We only have a few days to get things together, maybe we should stick to five or seven songs.”
“We normally do fifteen,” Bennett retorted.
“It’s not our normal night, a shorter show will give the scout a taste so they want more.”
“I agree with Ell,” Jameson said, hitting the lock button on his phone, placing it face down beside him and falling onto the back of the couch. “Macy says we may want to cut the show in half, and invite everyone we know, get a huge crowd there to back us up.”
Macy, Jameson’s girlfriend, worked in marketing—she knew how to sell things, and, apparently, she could add band marketing to her resume.
“Give them a taste,” I repeated. “So, let’s cut this list in half, five originals and two covers. You think we can agree to that?”
