Tonight, After 21 Years, I Passed the Audition

Tonight, After 21 Years, I Passed the Audition

tonight i was with the surviving members of the band "the woods" (see my earlier blog about david enloe's passing).

we were rehearsing what is basically a christmas night "concert for george" version of "the concert for david". i am playing with them and some supporting friends (ron from the hanks on guitar and his brother david, former ruin and current tres chica sideman on another guitar) on david's song "sand" (from their '86 debut and only record).

i worked really hard for days to master the guitar intro, a solo and the lead vocal (turns out dave and ron had those covered, though i sneaked in one open G lick or two at the end). i stepped up to the mic, tuned to that blues tuning of open G, plugged into the guitar and it went like magic. it felt the way it should have felt 21 years ago (and probably didn't). it was like riding a wave i'd waited on for two decades.

in late '86 the woods held auditions for a fourth member. they'd always been a trio. i auditioned, felt ok about it, but i didn't get it. i'm probably 5 times the guitarist now i was then. i've put far more work into it in recent years. i was probably more of a star struck fan at the audition. of course, the audition in '86 introduced me to another guy who'd auditioned, ron. he and i formed the hanks the very next year. he was there playing with me tonight. it was such a natural gathering of some special friends.

tonight when i finished the song, terry anderson looked up over his drums and said about the same time as ron, "you passed the audition, 21 years late!" we all had a
good laugh, but right now i can say that was one of my best musical moments, there in that rehearsal room.

terry added "david was the one vote against you!" (regarding the audition in '86). we all found that quite funny, and we all laughed hard. of course, the joke is that david can't be here to verify if terry's lying or not ;)

if anyone's around, it's christmas night at the pourhouse in raleigh. terry and
david shared birthdays, december 25, 1956. doors at 9pm. the tribute's around 10pm.

several of david's old friends will take a turn at the mic or on guitar to help celebrate his music and life. it'll be a night to remember. some laughter and some tears without a doubt.

thank you david enloe. you brought us together then. and tonight, though you weren't there in body, you *were* there. i think we were all looking around at each other and realized it about the same time.