Texas Country Reporter, Part Two
The big eye of TV winked as we played at Opening Bell Southside. Friends filled the seats, buddy/soundman/musician Doug Potts crammed the mixer board onto a table in the middle of the room, and Dan and Ryan from Texas Country Reporter moved around without notice, except for the fact that everyone of course knew exactly where they were at all times and pretended they didn’t see them, which of course they did, clearly, with both eyes, because Dan and Ryan were holding large TV cameras, one of which could look your way at any moment. It was a marvelous example of the the magic of television: even after being around for 80 years, TV still thrills. Through the magic of television, you can be transported into millions of glowing boxes in people’s living rooms, where, for a few pinnacle moments, you will be the center of attention, the fleeting electronic gestalt of countless strangers’ existences, with the side benefit of writing home to mom to say, hey, I was on TV last night, didja see me.
Gets ‘em every time.
And so this pixie-dust made for an animated crowd, and the ‘Swings fed on the buzz. It was such a boost to look out into the room at all those smiling faces, those dancing feet— a happy thing indeed, and we cavorted through “Trailer Park Living,” “Reach Out,” “Match Not Made in Heaven” and a few covers, including “Dream On,” with cellphones waving in the air like so many handheld Tinkerbells.
At the end of the night, as Ryan and Dan were packing up their things and the ‘Swings continued to play, Mary H. picked Ryan to be that night’s “Metrosexual.” For those who’ve not yet heard it, “Metrosexual” is a song Mary H. wrote about the kind of hunky guy who dresses so well he could be a magazine model: “He’s a metro, metrosexual, he looks better than me… he’s a metro, metrosexual, oh what a man is he. . .” It’s a lot of fun for the audience, and usually fun for the pick of the night, unless the pick is terribly shy and mortified by five women singing about how gorgeous he is in front of a bunch of people, but Ryan had a trick up his sleeve – at the end of the song he tore open his shirt and revealed a Mood Swings T-shirt!!
It was a Superman kind of moment.
After that night’s shoot was done, I thought we were finished taping, but I was wrong. I’m telling you, when Texas Country Reporter does a story, they really go after it. Not only did they tape the rehearsal and the gig, they taped four more interviews with various Mood Swings at their places of work or home, AND came back to shoot even more footage at the Deep Ellum Arts Fest. Unbelieveable!
Ooh! Ooh! Remember the big fat hint I gave Bob Phillips at the rehearsal taping, about heyyy, wouldn’t it be great if the ‘Swings could play at the annual Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter Festival in Waxahachie in October? Well guess who’s playing at the Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter Festival in October! Shazam!! We’ll be there on Saturday, October 24!! Do you know they actually shut down downtown Waxahachie so that 50,000 people can converge for the Festival? It’s a full day of seeing everyone you’ve seen on the show that year, only in person and in festival style. I can’t wait!
Merry and the Mood Swings play on May 9 at a fundraiser for septecimia patient Delia King at Opening Bell Southside (see http://openingbellcoffee.com/calendar1 for details about the benefit or www.deliaking.org for more information about Delia King).
Then the ‘Swings open for Once in a Blue Moon at Poor David’s Pub on Saturday, May 30 – if you’ve been jonesing for a Hendrix/SR Vaughan-league guitar player (no joke), don’t miss Once in a Blue Moon – OMG. And bring your dancin’ shoes (and cellphones)!
www.merryandthemoodswings.com
Copyright 2009 Mary Guthrie
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
When the TV Crew Shows Up at Your Door
Got a call the other day from Dan Stricklan of the Texas Country Reporter TV show (airs in Texas markets – GREAT show) and they want to do a segment about the Mood Swings. Hey! Cool! I LOVE Texas Country Reporter! I’ve always had a fondness for feature stories, and these guys are really, really good at it. So hey!
Here's a list about shooting at the house. Let’s dish!:
1. Home from work, they’ll be here at 7:
2. The shoot at house is really fun, but we’re nervous at first. They start out by standing in the shrubs in the front yard and shooting in through the windows. I feel the neighbor-vibes creeping across the lawns: “What now?”
3. When they come inside the house, we’re running through “Busy Body.” Talk about a close-up: Dan’s camera lens is two inches from Mary H.’s face the whole time. If she turned her head she’d hit the lens with her nose. Mary’s good, though; she’s channeling her inner theater major.
4. Now Ryan (producer-camerman guy) is doing closeups of Lucy, our “shy” ‘Swing who usually pulls in like a turtle when TV is around. She seems to be weathering this pretty well though, and she looks rela---heyy there’s a smile! These guys are good. Yeah, Lucy jus’ hangin’ out….
5. Martha is smooth on the drums during her closeups, keeps her sticks cool; Diane absolutely smokes on the sax & flute. Atta girls. When the camera turns to me I bang my teeth into the microphone and hope for merciful editing.
6. Time for the interview. They have Mary H. sit on the ottoman, the rest of us on the edge of the couch, scrunched closer than we would ever sit in real life – ewww we’re TOUCHing…camera’s rolling, act like this is the way we sit together all the time.
7. Host Bob Phillips is a pro*, he warms us up with “where are you from” throwaway lines, and then we’re off and gabbing. I wonder what parts they’ll use? When asked what our original songs were about, we should have had sparkling answers ready instead of everyone just kinda sitting there for a few….long…seconds… trying to explain, um, what, in fact, we sing about.
8. All the cool answers come to me later, about ten o’clock, long after they’re gone.
9. Bob & crew tape “Sarah,” “Busy Body,” and “Instructional World.” Do they really like our music, or were they just being polite? What is this going to look like when it’s all cut together? I know we’re in excellent hands – ALL their work is absolutely top-notch. But what will it turn out to be for the ‘Swings??
10. I drop big, clattering hints for an invitation to play at the next Texas Country Reporter Festival in Waxahachie in October – MEGA gig, they shut down downtown Waxahachie for 50,000 people, LOADS of fun – I hope we get invited. How cool would that be?!
11. Pack up, do gear count, big “faux” gig tomorrow night at Opening Bell Southside where they’ll record while we perform in front of an audience. We’ve invited some friends & family to be the audience – and we are going to PARRRR-TAY! Well, as much as one can par-tay between 7-8 p.m. on a Wednesday night – we’ve all got to get up & go to work the next day.
12. Let dog out of bedroom, set the alarm for 5:30 a.m. Tomorrow’s gonna be a big day.
* I want his job. He has the PERFECT job: Figure out what interests you, then go do a story about it, and get paid for it. Years ago I did magazine-style stories for radio and absolutely loved it and have always daydreamed about returning to those roots somehow, someday. Maybe after I win the Lotto.
Next: Previously, On Mood Swings
www.merryandthemoodswings.com
Copyright 2009 Mary Guthrie
Here's a list about shooting at the house. Let’s dish!:
1. Home from work, they’ll be here at 7:
- Put dog in back bedroom, close door
- Clean toilet, they might want to use the restroom
- Vacuum living room – does the rug still smell funny from when the dog upchucked?
- Open windows
- What if they wander down the hall & look in the kid’s bedrooms? Close doors.
- Make black bean salad, set out on Texas-shaped cutting board
- Go over set list at the kitchen table with the ‘Swings
- The doorbell rings--act nonchalant
- Nab escaped dog and haul back to bedroom while another ‘Swing opens the door
2. The shoot at house is really fun, but we’re nervous at first. They start out by standing in the shrubs in the front yard and shooting in through the windows. I feel the neighbor-vibes creeping across the lawns: “What now?”
3. When they come inside the house, we’re running through “Busy Body.” Talk about a close-up: Dan’s camera lens is two inches from Mary H.’s face the whole time. If she turned her head she’d hit the lens with her nose. Mary’s good, though; she’s channeling her inner theater major.
4. Now Ryan (producer-camerman guy) is doing closeups of Lucy, our “shy” ‘Swing who usually pulls in like a turtle when TV is around. She seems to be weathering this pretty well though, and she looks rela---heyy there’s a smile! These guys are good. Yeah, Lucy jus’ hangin’ out….
5. Martha is smooth on the drums during her closeups, keeps her sticks cool; Diane absolutely smokes on the sax & flute. Atta girls. When the camera turns to me I bang my teeth into the microphone and hope for merciful editing.
6. Time for the interview. They have Mary H. sit on the ottoman, the rest of us on the edge of the couch, scrunched closer than we would ever sit in real life – ewww we’re TOUCHing…camera’s rolling, act like this is the way we sit together all the time.
7. Host Bob Phillips is a pro*, he warms us up with “where are you from” throwaway lines, and then we’re off and gabbing. I wonder what parts they’ll use? When asked what our original songs were about, we should have had sparkling answers ready instead of everyone just kinda sitting there for a few….long…seconds… trying to explain, um, what, in fact, we sing about.
8. All the cool answers come to me later, about ten o’clock, long after they’re gone.
9. Bob & crew tape “Sarah,” “Busy Body,” and “Instructional World.” Do they really like our music, or were they just being polite? What is this going to look like when it’s all cut together? I know we’re in excellent hands – ALL their work is absolutely top-notch. But what will it turn out to be for the ‘Swings??
10. I drop big, clattering hints for an invitation to play at the next Texas Country Reporter Festival in Waxahachie in October – MEGA gig, they shut down downtown Waxahachie for 50,000 people, LOADS of fun – I hope we get invited. How cool would that be?!
11. Pack up, do gear count, big “faux” gig tomorrow night at Opening Bell Southside where they’ll record while we perform in front of an audience. We’ve invited some friends & family to be the audience – and we are going to PARRRR-TAY! Well, as much as one can par-tay between 7-8 p.m. on a Wednesday night – we’ve all got to get up & go to work the next day.
12. Let dog out of bedroom, set the alarm for 5:30 a.m. Tomorrow’s gonna be a big day.
* I want his job. He has the PERFECT job: Figure out what interests you, then go do a story about it, and get paid for it. Years ago I did magazine-style stories for radio and absolutely loved it and have always daydreamed about returning to those roots somehow, someday. Maybe after I win the Lotto.
Next: Previously, On Mood Swings
www.merryandthemoodswings.com
Copyright 2009 Mary Guthrie
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