It must be summer...

Transperformance '06:

I have to admit that I wasn't as excited as usual about Transperformance (this year's theme: All In The Family) as in year's past. A number of friends seemed to feel that way but nobody could pinpoint why that was. Why was that? Family dysfunction?

As I sped over the hills to the Pines, hoping I would make it before our 5:45 set time, I finally started to get that ball of nervous excitement in my stomach. The gray rainy morning had given way to a stunning summer afternoon. I was making good time and changing my shirt while driving. And best of all, I remembered how to play the songs.

We had only rehearsed the Kinks' set once as a full band. The songs Henning picked: Waterloo Sunset; Come Dancing; and Father Christmas were deceptive in that they sound like simple pop songs but each has weird, er, kinks to them. I felt like I might be the loose canon with this performance, since I was definitely the one who was least familiar with the band we were portraying. But I think we played well, and aside from unplugging myself during the last chorus of Christmas (it was intentional, really), I held my own.

Here's a reminder to us (not Us, the youngsters who apparently did a great job as Oasis) for next year's show, which I really hope to be a part of. The desire always seems to pick a band that we love and have always wanted to cover. Sometimes that doesn't always translate so well to a big stage on a sunny afternoon in front of a big crowd of happy families (ie, I'm glad we didn't try to do Sonic Youth or the Shaggs). While I wasn't crazy about playing Come Dancing, Henning was smart to pick it. Go figure: people jumped up and started dancing.

We have shows!

While Transperformance becomes all-consuming in the weeks leading up to the 15 minutes you end up spending on stage, SFTD actually has two shows on the horizon. When was the last time that happened? 2003?

This Saturday we'll be rocking the Hardwick Community Fair, billed as the oldest fair in the U.S. We may be playing our longest show ever, as we're scheduled to be on from 12-3. Come out for the miniature horses, the fried dough and the crafts. We'll be leading a knitting seminar at 3:35.

On Saturday, September 16, we'll be reinventing ourselves as Ning!, the toddler-friendly alter ego superhero band. The fabulous Cup and Top cafe in Florence will be hosting a series of musicians each Saturday morning in September, geared towards the under-4 set. Rock candy!