When Not to do Donuts in an Open Field...

It was a vast expanse of field we would be performing in the middle of, and if memory serves correctly, it was our good friend, Scott - from the hip-hop group, The Synchronized Brothers of the Faith - who had snagged us the gig.  For one reason or another, Scott's group was unable to perform, so he asked Narrow Road to do the honors.  Scott would be running the sound for this gig, circa 1996.

So there we were, in the middle of this field: setting up amps and equipment, tuning our instruments and running lengths of electrical cords for power.  Most of the band members were there doing the typical, preliminary pre-show work.

As we were setting up, a final straggler appeared from a distance in his vehicle.  It was Brian: our bass player/guitarist/drummer/jack-of-all-trades guy.  Brian is a man of many talents - a musician's musician.  You put it in Brian's hands and he can play it.  Best of all, Brian is one of the most likeable people on planet Earth.  Very few people could make me laugh harder than he could, back in the day.

Brian: A most likeable fellow

 
"Alright!  Here comes Brian!" someone exclaimed as we continued to set up.

And sure enough, a trail of dust could be seen as Brian drove his car up the gravel parking lot then onto the field close to the stage.  Ever fun-loving and high on life, Brian decided to treat the band to a little pre-show entertainment:  As he neared the stage in his vehicle, Brian felt that doing donuts was in order.

We laughed as his vehicle spun 'round-n-'round in that field, kicking up grass and dirt from under his little sports car's wheels.  And he showed no signs of slowing down, until...

From out of the blue, a man came running up, yelling and frantically trying to wave off Brian.  The guy was in a state of hysterics.  He finally caught Brian's attention and the car eventually slid to a halt.  The guy gave Brian a piece of his mind and then some before making his way to the stage.  Then we all received the brunt of his wrath.

Brian performing on bass guitar, circa '99

 
So what was the hubbub all about?  This field that I speak of, that was now scarred with skid marks and donut-shaped ruts, was a freshly sodded high school football field.  And the guy blowing a gasket was the coach.

Honestly, we were not cognizant of our surroundings: We were musicians, not jocks.  Our eyes were focused on our playing field: the center stage temporarily constructed in the middle of the turf.  The goalposts at each end never caught our eyes.  We apologized relentlessly before the coach stormed off.

Other than that, the show went off without a hitch; we scored a touchdown.

Brian performing on drums with Mella Fella:

a side-band comprised of Narrow Road members

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- K -