Making friends and networking can be extremely vital to a successful music career. I found that out first hand when I received a text from The 71s lead singer, Keeton, about a band needing a drummer. 

The band in need was The Live Lights. Based out of Houston, The Live Lights have been making a name for themselves for over 3 years. Due to the sure abundance of bands in the area, I had not heard of them but I was willing to move forward based on Keetons recommendation. I was contacted by Bryan, the bands lead singer/keys player. He gave me the run down about the loss of their drummer. They still had a show booked and did not want to cancel it. I agreed to take on the gig and he sent me the music to learn.

I wasnt really sure what to expect. Could have been death metal. Could have been country. I wasnt sure but again, I was up for it. The sound I heard was NOT what I was expecting. The Live Lights merge several genres of music, almost changing song by song. Some tracks are heavy on the synth keys and atmospheric guitars. Others are straight forward indie rock feeling. It took a while to get a feel for it since its not what Im used to playing. Though the drumming was not difficult, learning the stops and transitions would be a little tricky.

I listened to the music for a week or so between preparing for other gigs and felt pretty comfortable about it. Now it was time to do it LIVE. Theres really no telling how it would go. Ive listened and listened but trying to play it for the first time is always tricky. I arrived at the rehearshal space and met the fellas. Really nice group of guys. We talked shop about the music business, how much SXSW sucks and compared stories about the shows we have played.

Once we were all set up and ready to go, there was no time for excuses. I had to confirm to these guys that the show on Saturday was going to be great. They really didn’t have any time to find another drummer if I completely flopped. The first song started with guitar and keys intro, then we came in as a full band. It felt right…it felt good..I think they agreed. We moved from song to song fairly quickly. There were a few spots that were rough but we got through it. We ran through the set we intend to play Saturday at the Austin Beer Festival. I did things alittle different. I tend to “rock” stuff up a little. They liked it! SO that worked well for me.

I had a good time and feel at ease about the whole thing. I was nervous but thats normal!

If youre in Austin, come out to the Austin Beer Festival on Saturday. The Live Lights will be on the ampatheatre stage at 5:30. Hope to see you there!