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I just thought I would mention that Dave Hawk (dvdhawk ) is coming into Cleveland today for a concert I'm doing with Jonah Koslen's Stage Pass band tonight at The Music Box concert club in The Flats (a section of downtown Cleveland that has several entertainment facilities. )
I got our resident RO scholar (and friend) an all-access VIP pass for the show ( which I'm happy to report is completely sold out in both seating and SRO )
I'm really looking forward to meeting him. We have talked on the phone a number of times but have never met.
Have a safe drive, Dave... I'll see you around 3.

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dvdhawk Fri, 02/24/2017 - 22:59

Don't worry, Boswell, this gig had Donny out way past his bedtime. You may have noticed his penchant for posting to RO at what would be still be morning for you, and 4am Cleveland time, so he's definitely more of an "early to bed, early rise" guy. He was pretty gassed by midnight and had to get his beauty rest. Whereas, no amount of beauty sleep could help me. And as I told Donny, I've seen my share of sunrises, but they're usually tacked on at the end of my day rather than at the beginning (and no less inspiring in my opinion). So tech-talk with Donny & Dave has been rescheduled for the morning.

The show was outstanding! The live Stagepass album from '77, that Jonah, Donny, and the boys played in it's entirety tonight, was a big influence on me and a lot of the musicians I make music with to this day. I think it is one of a handful of great live albums of the era that instilled a love of live performance recording in me. (I wish I could have recorded tonight's show.)

The venue was very nice, and absolutely packed wall to wall with hundreds of fans who knew every single song by heart, yet still cozy enough for the band to really engage the audience. The band's stage volume was superbly under control - the sure sign of seasoned pros, and the young dude mixing FOH had complete control. (Sound geek alert- Midas Pro2 digital console, and DB Technology line arrays overhead - 4 cabs per side). The sound was crystal clear and the volume very comfortable. The vocal harmonies sounded especially good.

And although Donny's too modest to say so, I can tell you he's an outstanding guitar player and has an absolutely beautiful voice. The crowd was there tonight because they all love that album, and have a deep emotional attachment to it. And although Donny sometimes has the unenviable position of filling the shoes of the local legend who sang a lot of those songs, he hit them all out of the park, and the audience responded accordingly. The band certainly did not disappoint, and I enjoyed every note.

The only thing that could have sullied an otherwise great night of listening to great music would have been discussing politics of any kind.

DonnyThompson Sat, 02/25/2017 - 20:32

Dave and I had a short but great visit. Beyond us talking shop, lol, He's a genuine prince of a guy. Incredibly smart, funny, totally personable... positively someone you'd want to just hang out with regardless of the mutual love of music. Our visit was far too short; he had to get back to PA to run sound for a band tonight, and I was pretty wiped out after the show last night, but we had a great day today just hanging out. We're gonna get together again soon. In fact I'm positive we are, for a month or so, Dave and I have been planning on co-engineering an album project this spring that I've planned on doing for a charitable cause. Plus - lol - Dave lives within shouting distance of beautiful trout streams, and I'm gonna let him point me in the direction of those places come season opening. ;-)

DonnyThompson Sat, 02/25/2017 - 20:51

audiokid, post: 447845, member: 1 wrote: That was a delight to read, thanks Dave.
This looks like the band
https://www.jonah.com.co/stage-pass-now

One of the things I love about this band, Chris, (beyond the complete lack of "typical" band drama), is that it's been the exact same lineup of guys since the beginning; from the very first show 9 years ago to the present - and I think that's a rare thing, that there have been no personel changes over the years, and it definitely results in a musical gel that you can only get when cats have played together for that long; who genuinely like each other as pals, who really know each other; guys who are great friends with mutual respect and admiration for each other and each other's playing styles.
:-)
-d.

dvdhawk Mon, 02/27/2017 - 16:03

You don't take a couple years off, and then do a show of this caliber without some serious band chemistry. There's definitely a level of comfort you get working with the same guys/gals for years. Jonah, Donny, and the guys all top-flight players, who obviously enjoy working together.

I was in a regional band that took 20 years apart, and when we got together several years ago for a string of reunion dates, we were able to get everybody on-board except the bass player. Even so, 20 years later, from the first note at the first practice I remembered how easy it was making music with these folks.