Next gig for the GuitarChic

My fascination with female musicians is not just some weird quirk.  I am a musician and knowing how challenging it can be to play on stage makes me respect these talented women all the more.

I am part of Silverwing, a rockin' country band based in the Reno, Nevada area.  We play classic and current country music with a few good rock songs thrown in to keep it surprising.  I have played for a few lonely drunks in a tiny bar to thousands of people at a political rally.  It's always fun, even at closing time and the place is emptying out, I still love and appreciate that I get to play music for a living.  It is a blessing in my life.

So where is my next gig?  The Whiskey Tavern in Carson City, NV.  It should be a great time.  Looks like they have a good crowd with lots of Facebook followers.  They approached us in Virginia City on the Fourth of July and immediately wanted to hire us.  Very cool, that's a nice compliment.

So Saturday is gig day.  We start playing at 9pm, but we live an hour away, so we actually have to start our "job" earlier in the afternoon, when we load the gear into the pick-up truck.  Gotta bring it all, don't want to be an hour away from home and forget one chord, ugh.  So it's personal gear, like guitars, stands, microphones, amplifiers and tuners plus PA gear like mixer board, power conditioners, more chords and lots of speakers. 

I don't sit by watching my husband loading gear, frightened to break a nail, I jump into the back of the pickup and organize all the stuff.  It's like the old video game Tetrus, putting all these amps, boxes, speakers and guitars into a nice little package in the bed of the pickup. 

We gotta get there early enough to set up and sound check, so when we turn it on, it sounds good right off the bat.  Each room is different.  What worked great at the last gig, could be a real disaster at the next gig.  We go from outdoor gigs, to small rooms, to large rooms and everything needs to be adjusted for the unique situation.  Plus, you don't want to be rushed and chaotic.  So after the sound check we need time to relax and kick back just a bit.

You'd think I would be nervous, but it rarely crosses my mind.  I was so shy growing up, that even I am amazed by how cool, calm and collected I am when I'm getting up on stage in front of people and singing.  Recently we played a wedding.  The first song was the couple's first dance and the first note of that song, was me singing with no music behind me, HUH? What!  I admit I was shaking, but, I did great. Yeah!

So, that's why I am a great fan of female musicians.  I am just a part of a band.  I can't imagine how it would feel to step up and be the focal point, to keep a crowd entertained for an evening.  Wow, these women are my idols.

Please stop by my website www.guitarchics.com and learn a few interesting facts about my favorite female musicians.  The site will be growing each week, so come back often.  Also, check out our band at www.silverwingband.com, that's me right in the middle.  Our CD "Moonshine" is available at our gigs, our website, CDbaby and Amazon.com.