Blogs
September 02, 2008
The time Gavin Degraw played tamborine in Absentstar....
Happy holidays friends and foes, or neighbors, whichever side of the fence you may find yourself on this morning!
So, Im'a make this bloggski a quickie, because it's Labor Day, which means I have many a cookout to crash, and I have to start planning my outfits accordingly, because it would be in really poor taste to crash one party wearing my Mole Skin jacket, get rib sauce (or saurce if I crash a British party) all over it, then show up at the next social event looking like I just got knifed with a four inch pig sticker.
So last night Absentstar played a festival, to be exact, it was the Naperville Last Fling. Quite a top notch affair if I do say so myself, although the Funnel Cakes were $8. Now I don't know much about the culinary arts, but unless those funnel cakes are being deep fried by Paula Dean (the queen of the deep fryer) and the recipe includes water from Ponce DeLeon's floridian fountain of youth, black market kidneys, Manna from the Book of Exodus, is cooked in King Tut's gold mask and includes a live performance by the Keebler Elves, I just don't see how fried dough could cost so much. You can get a box of Crispy Creme's or a Bucket of Chicken, or a combination of both, for way less than 8 dollars. Anyway.
So Marshall and I got to the event and were hanging backstage in the artist trailer. There was a long table across the back wall with a huge spread of food on it, bread and PBJ and crackers and veggie tray, etc etc etc, all labeled Absentstar. Next to it was a package of Lorna Doon shortbread cookies labeled Gavin Degraw. We were munching on some veggies and veggie dip, sipping some life water, pontificating on the upcoming elections and trying to scheme a way to hustle $8 for a funnel cake off the loading crew. There was a gentleman in the trailer talking to some of the production staff. We kept on chomping our carrots and tomatoes and white veggie saurce. The man see's us there and comes to introduce himself.
"Hi man, I'm Gavin.." he said. Utterly nice, he chatted with us for a long while, then starts laughing, and says, "So, I've got a story for ya.."
He goes on, "So I get here, and climb off the bus, and I'm walking around back stage, just checkin' out the scene, getting my bearings. This taller feller walks up to me and says - 'Hey, we are so happy to have you here! You know, we were looking to fill up the day, and I talked with your agency and I told them i needed a real hard working up-and-comer to add, this kind of music, this kind of band, and they submitted a few different ones, and I picked you guys. I just love your band and I'm so excited to have you guys here. Everyone here just thinks that Absentstar is amazing, so thanks so much for coming, Thanks!!"
And Gavin says "So I was like, sure man, your welcome, I'm glad to be here! And then I kept on going. Then I come in the trailer and I'm like, wow, this Absentstar must be huge. I get in here, and I see your huge food spread and my cookies....haha." So we shared our veggie tray and told him he was welcome to all of it, obviously.
We joked for a little while longer, and told him we had a position open, if he would like to be the new tamborine player in Absentstar. According to Gavin, "Tamborine can be the difference between success and failure!"
It was a really great meeting and we got to chat more with him after our set.
During Gavin's set, about midway through. he told the crowd of thousands that same story, and then had them give it up for us. We were really stunned that he took the time to do that. Such a nice and cool gesture.
Here is a video of it on Youtube!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmbULfNRaog
A truly amazing guy, and an amazing talent, we were all knocked over by his performance, voice and songs. His band, hile also being as nice as he was (taking the time to talk to us before they went onstage). Just super cool individuals, some of the nicest we have ever had the pleasure of meeting, and we look forward to the possibility of seeing them again soon!
For all of you that were at the show, from old friends to new friends like Kelsey, to friends we have known a while but are just now meeting in person, thanks so much for making the trip and singing along and sharing the even with us.
See you in a couple of weeks!!
Heath.absentstar
posted by Derek Ingersoll on 9/2/2008 1:23:37 AM