It was one of the biggest crowds we have seen at Amp the Alley, and from the first notes, I was genuinely terrified - it was loud. It didn't bother me in the slightest, but I was prepared to watch the bag chairs get folded up, the procession marching down The Alley like a mass exodus, and me, left there with only my phone to vainly dampen the blow of all of the angry Facebook comments I was about to receive as our largest crowd dissolved into the summer haze. The song finished and I slowly turned to survey the wake of destruction caused by blaring amplifiers and the resolve of a band who wouldn't let a few audio difficulties slow them down.
I've always found Amp so much fun in the way it brings waves of the community throughout the night. The older crowd doesn't fool around. They aren't die-hard fans of any particular band, though I suspect they all have their favorites, but they are fans of a good time. They can't be bothered by people holding up traffic whilst stopped in "how ya mamma and 'ems." They have their preferred seats. They enjoy being comfortable. They appreciate live music.
The families stroll in next. They've got to feed the kids, and they know there is a very specific window in which they can keep the kids entertained and happy. A large pizza from Mellow and some imaginary rampage being played as they destroy skyscrapers made of oversized checker pieces. The adventurous ones, the future starlets and frontmen themselves, find themselves dancing stage front, trying to outshine the band.
Next, you have the couples on dates and the youth looking for the all-night hang. They are filling in the gaps left by our first wave whose routines leave them with little desire to burn the midnight oil - or even the early evening wick. They like to catch the end of the shows when the band has an insurmountable inertia that can only be stopped by arbitrary noise ordinances. Being in The Alley, this is no issue for them on a Thursday night, because they have Southbound Smokehouse packing the House with Karaoke all night and Electric Eats spinning the bangers with DJ Charlie Z! The music doesn't stop in The Alley on Thursday Nights. Oh yea, the wake of destruction...
Nothing of the sort. Fist pumps. Raucous applause. Woops. Cheers. Not a single chair folded, in fact, they appeared to have gotten heavier. I had fully prepared to tell the band to turn the main down, but after that response, I simply could not. I knew they didn't possess the constitution to endure. This would not last.
But they did. We all know folks grow more stubborn with age - hell I have, but I've also become more irritable. Maybe they had just been generous and hoped that the sound issues would abate and the band would find their groove.
Finally, they started getting up.
To DANCE.
The very young, the young, and young at heart. They danced, and danced and danced. Through Clapton, Gyote, The Stones, Alice and Chains, Clapton, Hendrix, and Lennon - they cheered and they danced! Through nonsensical jams that started by asking the crowd if they liked Spongebob - they danced. Through medley's of just monstrous riffs from multiple songs mashed together - they danced.
By the end, the empty chairs were like cicada husks left behind on a balmy southern night as the hum grew louder and louder and louder at the Bud Light Stage.
We don't sell tickets, so I've got no accurate counts and my face is usually glued to the backside of my Fuji, but this may be the biggest crowd from start to finish that we have ever had.
In the words of my buddy Karen Bunney - "you really have to make the Alley shake again with your Awesome Music !!"
Thank you to Easily Amused!
Ben Turner - Drums / Vocals
Jordan Lee - Singer / Bass
Josh Graulty - Percussion
Noah Lloyd - Guitar
Drake Randazzo - Guitar
James Smith - Guitar / Vocals
Check out the Gallery
This Week on the Bud Light Stage
Ruskin and Cam are back! The dynamic duo who you recognize and love from King Size, Impulse Ride, and Black Dawg - just to name the one's you've seen on the Bud Light Stage this year! These guys are awesome. I don't have to spend much time talking them up, because I've seen you react to their music. It's going to a great week for Amp the Alley. As a reminder, I'll drop a King Size Video. Brannon is on drums, but that's the only difference.
Check out this video from King Size
No Show for the 4th of July
There will be no show for the 4th of July, per the usual. Everyone have a safe and happy holiday.
Also to note:
Whiskey Alley will be closed the Week of the 4th. However, The Red Door will be open for the week, but closed on the 4th itself. So its a perfect opportunity to grab some $5 Bao on Tuesdays or $10 Pork Fried Rice on Wednesdays. Support your local businesses, and especially those who support you by helping to create Amp the Alley.
Why You Haven't Been Getting Text Messages
You all haven't been getting your familiar text messages weekly that confirm the band or let you know if there has been a cancellation. Don't worry, we haven't canceled anyone yet. That's because some regulations and pricing changed, so I changed the platform I'm using. Also, it means that I've had to learn a few new things, but I'm starting to get the hang of it. Turns out old Meese can learn new tricks. So sometime soon, I will send a text to all of you that starts with Amp: - just like the old ones. It will have a link for you to confirm you still want to be the first to know when things are happening. Remember what I always say... DON'T TRUST THE ALGORITHM! I will always post online if things go askew, but then you have to rely on the God's of Social Media to provide you the sign when you need it most. Sometimes, that ends up being the next day. So be on the look out for a new text from us. It will be from a a full 10 digit phone number that has an 803 Area Code. I'm just finishing up some final details, running a couple of test, and the Amp Broadcast System will be back, up, and running!
Awesome article on the Band Easily Amused, and I’m so glad we didn’t have to shut it down because of the AWESOME LOUD MUSIC ! The pictures are spot on and as always you capture the raw emotion of the band !