{"id":3425,"date":"2025-02-09T23:09:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-09T23:09:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=3425"},"modified":"2025-02-13T02:38:11","modified_gmt":"2025-02-13T02:38:11","slug":"frt-twig-gigs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/?p=3425","title":{"rendered":"FTV: Twig Gigs"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Reading Rik Emmitt\u2019s biography <\/span>Lay It On The Line <\/span><\/i>(ECW Press – 2023), I especially enjoyed the tales he recounted from various bands he was in over more than fifty years in the music biz.\u00a0 I am not just talking about high profile shows with the band Triumph, but various anecdotes going all the way back to gigs he did in his first bands.\u00a0 At first I thought it would be fun to revisit one of the most memorable gigs from each of the four bands I played with over the years, but there were too many.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t narrow it down to one per band.\u00a0 Instead, I will give each group its due and take them separately, but to do that, I will need to spread the story out over a few articles.\u00a0 To keep from wearing out my welcome, these will be spread out over a few months.\u00a0 As the title suggests, we will start with the first band that actually played for money during our senior year in high school circa 1970-71 – The Twig.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The origins of The Twig actually go back to the spring of 1969.\u00a0 As sophomores, Mike Kesti, Gene Betts, and yours truly were involved in the Marquette Senior High School production of the musical <\/span>Bye Bye Birdie.\u00a0 <\/span><\/i>Mike was on stage playing an acoustic guitar during some of the numbers, Gene was one of the stage hands, and I was playing drums in the pit orchestra.\u00a0 Gene and I had jammed at his house a few times but with me lugging a cymbal, stand, and snare drum to his house because his brother would not let him take his guitar out of the house (yet).\u00a0 Before some rehearsals, Ron, the upright bass player in the orchestra, and I would play little snippets of tunes to amuse ourselves.\u00a0 Eventually, Mike came over and added some guitar.\u00a0 At one point MIke, Gene, and I tried to meet early before a Saturday play practice to jam, but the building was locked up tight.\u00a0 We ended up at someone\u2019s house listening to a Mothers of Invention album to kill some time before we returned for rehearsal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The first time we actually played music together was at the cast party held when the play wrapped.\u00a0 The play\u2019s director \u2018suggested\u2019 we might like to bring our instruments to The Chalet supper club for the festivities.\u00a0 Still four months from getting my driver\u2019s license, I had to get dropped off and picked up by my folks.\u00a0 We obviously had not planned for this, but between Mike, Ron, and Gene, the three of them knew enough popular songs to keep us going for a couple of hours.\u00a0 Mike Cleary was the lead singer of a local band called The French Church was also in the play, so it was fun to have him up there doing his lead singer thing.\u00a0 Before we packed up, Gene, Mike, and I discussed getting together when school was out to jam some more.\u00a0 Mike said, \u201cI am getting a job in the kitchen at the hospital.\u00a0 By summer I should have enough to buy a bass guitar and build my own amp.\u201d\u00a0 A perfect plan for the late 1960s time period – we set our sights on being a power-trio.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We began doing rehearsals at my house and the more we played together, the more obvious it became that we could indeed become a band.\u00a0 Having sung along with records over the past three as I learned to play the drums years, I wasn\u2019t shy at all about singing.\u00a0 I had also acted as a rehearsal drummer two summers earlier for a band made up of my older sisters’ high school classmates.\u00a0 I thought they were going to ask me to join the Self Winding Grapefruit, but their regular drummer put two and two together and actually started showing up for their band practices.\u00a0 I got more experience during my freshman year acting as a rehearsal drummer for three NMU students from Detroit who needed a drummer and a place to jam to keep sharp for their summer gigs back home.\u00a0 I was more than ready to get our own thing going so we hatched a plan:\u00a0 woodshed junior year, rehearse weekly, and be playing paying gigs by the fall of 1970.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mike got us involved playing for Messiah Lutheran Church\u2019s \u2018youth\u2019 services.\u00a0 This gave us an opportunity to play a few informal parties in their fellowship hall.\u00a0 It was always fun to get out of the basement and play in a larger room with people attending.\u00a0 This paid dividends when the youth pastor asked us to play a youth event at a church in Gladstone and in a church-run tent cafe at the State Fair in Escanaba (both in the summer of 1970).\u00a0 We did get a \u2018pass the hat\u2019 paying gig playing for the Red Owl grocery store staff party held at one of the stocker\u2019s home on Baraga Avenue.\u00a0 Mike Cleary also worked there (as did my brother who suggested us for the gig) so we got to play with an actual lead singer for the second time.\u00a0 I had borrowed a base drum and mounted tom tom from the school and this was the only time I attempted to play a double bass kit.\u00a0 It was a novel idea but I was perfectly happy to go back to my old four piece set up.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When the summer of 1970 arrived, I knew we were going to be playing real gigs soon.\u00a0 The first hint was when Mike quit his part time job.\u00a0 The second was all of us joining the American Federation of Musicians Local 209.\u00a0 Being dues paying members of the AFM opened up more opportunities to play for pay as many places would not hire bands who were not affiliated.\u00a0 The first actual AFM job we paid \u2018work dues\u2019 for was a one off outdoor gig for one of NMU\u2019s summer band camps.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t have enough equipment or songs, but just the same, we set up on the front steps of the Forest Roberts Theater and played our 90 minutes worth of tunes.\u00a0 We thought we were done, but the organizer suggested the kids would be fine if a) they could stay out longer and b) that we simply play our entire set list again.\u00a0 Our next rehearsal put us on track to start learning at least two new songs everytime we got together.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Before we could play bigger places, we needed more equipment.\u00a0 To fill out the sound of our\u00a0 trio, Mike and Gene decided to buy extra Fender cabinets so they both would have speakers on each side of the stage.\u00a0 This helped them hear each other better and it expanded our sound.\u00a0 Mike built our PA amp and we bought some new PA speakers (which he paired with a set of used treble horn type speakers he found somewhere).\u00a0 A quick trip to Anderson\u2019s Electronics for new microphones and we were in business just in time to play a high school dance after the first home football game.\u00a0 This was a memorable first gig because we thought it went pretty well.\u00a0 We did find, however,\u00a0 we needed to upgrade to better PA speakers.\u00a0 The first speakers sounded great in my basement but not so much when pushed to fill a gymnasium.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mike printed up some band business cards and we started giving them out whenever we got an opportunity.\u00a0 Once we played a frat party out at the old Cliffs Ridge Ski Chalet, our weekend bookings began to pile up.\u00a0 It was kind of awesome to have to tell someone, \u201cGee, we are sorry – we already have a job that night.\u201d\u00a0 In order of enjoyment, the high school dances were probably the best time because there were always a lot of bodies in the gym.\u00a0 Frat parties were also a gas because we got to see a good deal of <\/span>Animal House<\/span><\/i> behavior before the movie ever happened.<\/span><\/p>\n

The first frat party we did at the ski chalet was interesting.\u00a0 A group of the frat boy\u2019s girl friends came over during one break to make some requests.\u00a0 We were enjoying the attention until one of them sat on Gene\u2019s lap and her BF took exception.\u00a0 The frat president cooled things down by reminding the offended boyfriend that it would not be much of a party if the band got beat up.<\/span><\/p>\n

We took that as our cue that the break was over and it was time for them to burn off some of that aggressive energy on the dance floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0We played frat parties at various locations.\u00a0 Getting to Club 41 in Ishpeming during a terrific snowstorm was no fun but once the crowd arrived, it was a good time (and the weather cleared before the drive home).\u00a0 Playing at an actual frat house was not much different than the Red Owl Christman party gig.\u00a0 The best frat gig, however, was in the second floor Odd Fellows meeting hall on the corner of Bluff and Third Street.\u00a0 Carrying equipment up the steep stairs was a challenge and the place was hotter than blazes.\u00a0 It was a sub-zero winter night and they had bottles chilling on the outside sill of the windows which were open to cool the place down.\u00a0 The sound in this room was amazing and we nailed our four sets without any major mistakes.\u00a0 This was the first gig we did Savage Grace\u2019s <\/span>1984 <\/span><\/i>and a couple of new Grand Funk songs.\u00a0 When Savage Grace vocalist \/ bass player Al Jacquez was in Ontonagon a decade ago with his band Measured Chaos, it was fun to relate to him that we were the only band in Marquette playing one of their tunes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The funniest moment we had took place at a Thanksgiving Dance held at the Northwoods Supper Club.\u00a0 The sorority and fraternity that sponsored it asked for \u2018dinner music\u2019 while they finished their meal and set up the dance floor.\u00a0 They were nicely dressed and we began to wonder if this was going to be a dull evening.\u00a0 Once they got on the dance floor, however, it became just another <\/span>Animal House <\/span><\/i>party sans the togas.\u00a0 They were still clearing the buffet during our second set when one fellow grabbed an enormous drumstick he carried with him out to the dance floor.\u00a0 At some point, he looked at Gene, and then held up the giant turkey leg to see if he wanted to take a bite.\u00a0 Gene was game, nodded yes, and took a huge chomp out of it when it was presented to him.\u00a0 Mike came next before the turkey guy wound his way around the amps and stuck the drumstick in my face.\u00a0 I got less of a bite than Gene did but could not avoid getting a face full of grease.\u00a0 I always kept a towel hung on my mic stand to wipe my face and I remember my mother asking me why it smelled of turkey after this gig.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The only other time I thought we might be in for a bit of a tussle was after a double bill we played at a teen dance at the old Baraga High School gym.\u00a0 We were invited to do the first and third set by the other band\u2019s leader, Ron Phillips.\u00a0 Sweat Equity had a homemade set of lights one of their buddies would control.\u00a0 Ron asked Mike if we wanted to have him do lights for us as well.\u00a0 Mike agreed but took umbrage when the light guy asked for five bucks when we were packing up.\u00a0 Gene and I had no idea Mike refused to pay the kid, but when it looked like his friends were going to come and collect one way or another, Gene spoke up.\u00a0 He said, \u201cAh, Mike, you would rather get beat up than give this guy five bucks?\u00a0 He did do lights for us, so give him the five and let’s go home.\u201d\u00a0 Whether or not Ron was aware of all this at the time I can\u2019t say, but he later apologized that his \u2018crew\u2019 had threatened us.\u00a0 I assured him that it was all a misunderstanding.\u00a0 We were glad to have gotten the gig and Mike probably should have let us in on the deal before he put us all in a \u2018bad light\u2019 (pun intended).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Probably my favorite dance we played was also held at the old Bishop Baraga High School.\u00a0 The school had closed the year before and there was a group of locals working to turn it into a youth center.\u00a0 We didn\u2019t know it at the time, but a couple of our classmates on the committee actually funded a dance held in the school\u2019s main rotunda.\u00a0 It was a beautiful space with several levels of wide platforms encircling the building\u2019s central hall.\u00a0 We were set up on the second level from the top and an overflow crowd literally surrounded us.\u00a0 That was the only time I ever got to perform in that type of setting and it was kind of exciting to see wall to wall kids in every direction.\u00a0 Sadly, this project was never able to attract enough funding and the school building itself was torn down (leaving only the gym that became part of the county office complex).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Mike, Gene, and I ended up playing a short impromptu set at The Northwoods Supper Club on the night of our graduation party.\u00a0 Some students from every graduating class in Marquette seemed to make it to the big bash out on the Sands Plains toward the old KI Sawyer Air Force Base.\u00a0 I had no intention of going there and was happy to see how many of our classmates \u00a0 attended the \u2018official\u2019 graduation party at the Northwoods.\u00a0 We had a great meal and at some point, a couple of our class officers approached the band they had hired to ask if we could play a couple of tunes.\u00a0 I always hated when people asked to play our equipment so it would not have been my idea to do that to another band.\u00a0 They were gracious enough to say yes and the first we heard about it, their leader \u2018invited us\u2019 to come up and play a couple of songs.\u00a0 I do not remember how many we did, but I do remember the drummer\u2019s kit was set up so low I had a hard time playing it.\u00a0 Being six foot tall, I always set my drums, throne, and cymbals pretty high.\u00a0 In this case, I found myself hitting my legs trying to play rolls on the snare drum.\u00a0 It was okay but I was glad it wasn\u2019t our last show together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The last dance we played took place in the early summer of 1971.\u00a0 We were booked to play the first dance at the newly remodeled youth center in Munising.\u00a0 They had a nice stage and the room sounded great.\u00a0 Our friend Nick came along to capture the event with his camera but I can not say that I ever saw any of the photos he took.\u00a0 We were charged up and after all the time we played together, we finished The Twig with one of the best shows we had ever done.\u00a0 We used to start our last set with an instrumental version of the <\/span>Theme from Tommy<\/span><\/i> – big chords and a lot of energetic drum fills.\u00a0 We played it as an instrumental because we found we couldn\u2019t sing it properly.\u00a0 When we started the last set, the kids came streaming in from the basement snack bar waving and hollering like we were The Who on stage.\u00a0 The hour drive home was filled with a lot of reminiscing about some of the gigs we had done.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0When we met up the next day for Mike and Gene to collect their equipment from my dad\u2019s pickup truck, it finally hit us that we were done.\u00a0 Mike was headed to Michigan Tech in the fall and Gene was planning to work at the gas station by his house for the summer.\u00a0 Two weeks later I got a call to work at the Huron Mountain Club and I spent six days a week there until Labor Day.\u00a0 I doubt we would have picked up any stray gigs after the last one so that was that.\u00a0 My one day off per week didn\u2019t leave much time for anything but a quick laundry trip home and a little catching up with my buddies before I began my freshman year at NMU.\u00a0 Maybe it was a good thing I ended up working out of town – it didn\u2019t leave me much time to lament the end of The Twig.\u00a0 Incidentally, our first name for the band was \u2018The Bight\u2019 but we got really tired of having to spell it for people.\u00a0 It was Gene who came up with The Twig, we were fine with the change.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Top Piece video:\u00a0\u00a0Fire\u00a0<\/em>was one of the first songs we learned and were really happy to have Mike Cleary sing it with us.\u00a0 Having the lead singer of a real band say, “Hey, that was cool – let’s play it again” gave us a real shot in the arm as we were prepping to start playing real gigs for money in 1970.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Reading Rik Emmitt\u2019s biography Lay It On The Line (ECW Press – 2023), I especially enjoyed the tales he recounted from various bands he was in over more than fifty years in the music biz.\u00a0 I am not just talking about high profile shows with the band Triumph, but various anecdotes going all the way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,11,8,12,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bands-musicians","category-education","category-from-the-vaults","category-humor","category-woas"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3425"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3429,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3425\/revisions\/3429"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.woas-fm.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}