We finally made our debut at the Wild Horse Tavern this past Sunday, July 19th on the Upper East Side and it was worth the wait. An earlier show had been cancelled but this one more than made up for it. The Wild Horse is a sleek bar/restaurant that seems to be new or at least has been extensively renovated. There is a small stage in the back and it’s obvious that the owners love music, especially classic rock, because of the enlarged and perfectly lit photos of the Stones, Janis, Bob Dylan and George Harrison, et al.
An expert sound man was engaged for the night, and he provided a mix that worked well for both the performers and the audience. Amps were angled in towards the stage to act more as monitors and to keep the sound level down in the room. The result was a highly rocking stage sound that I imagine was comfortable in the relatively small room and not too difficult for the neighbors. I know that the band was totally jazzed by it and the audience's response seemed to confirm that.
We performed as a trio with myself on guitar and vocals, Dave Gerstein on bass and Chris Trotta on drums. Here is the set list:
She’s Telling Me Off – original
Drunk Dialer – original
Lonely Girl – original
Crossroads – Robert Johnson via Clapton/Cream
Sad to Be Lonesome – Sonny Boy Williamson
Malted Milk – Robert Johnson arranged by Chris Botta
Just Ain’t Right – original
Hey Joe – Jimi Hendrix
There was an appreciative crowd and a couple of groups and solo artists played before and after us, mainly acoustic driven sounds. This is a really hip spot and we’ll be returning on Sunday August 9 at 8:45. Thanks to Sid Moskowitz for bringing us in here and for providing the terrific Roland Blues Cube amp – made me realize how much I miss my echo effects! Also thanks to Melissa Hazim and Michael “Max” Schrader for providing the photos and cozy spirit.
Comments