Stopped by the Rear Naked Choke jam room to deliver the DVD’s of the photoshoot I did of them at the 420 Bash at Little Texas. It turned out pretty good.

I continue to learn more and more about the world of live music. As I learn, my appreciation of what musicians do is increasing, which makes it all the more fun for me. My horizons are definitely broadening.

I want to say thank you again to the guys in RNC – Mick, Cody, Ferron, Mike and Chris. It was a great adventure. I’d like to do it again.

Don

on location
 
 
 

My next photo shoot for live music is Rear Naked Choke, a Heavy Metal band based in Abilene, Texas, on April 20th at Little Texas in Abilene.

There will be other bands performing that night. Live music starts at 8:15pm, and Rear Naked Choke takes the stage at 10:15.

Little Texas Facebook page

Rear Naked Choke Facebook Page

Rear Naked Choke on RebverbNation

Rear Naked Choke YouTube Channel

I’ve got a bit of a story to tell about this band. I first heard their song “Better Man” on Monday, April 16th. I got a heads up from Chris Summers, 2nd guitar, that one of their songs was up against another one in a contest on Rock 108, so I went and gave it a listen and voted. I’ve been entranced by this song ever since.

A lot of songs turn me on. Some carry me to another place. This one carries me.

Last night, Wednesday, I went to RNC’s jam room to listen to them practice so I would have a sense of what to look for during the photo shoot Friday night. During practice RNC turns off the overhead lights and uses their show lights to help the mood. I was sitting in a chair, out of lead singer Mick Taylor’s way, which is a good place to be. It was toward the end of practice that the band played this song, and everything slowed to a calm.

The song started up, and I settled in to listen. I had the same good feeling that I’d had on Monday when I first heard it. I love this song. But then something unexpected came over me. As I looked around the room at the band members playing, I felt like I had been set apart from these guys. I literally had the feeling that I was watching a movie about a band that had a song that made it big, and I was in the movie. I was there in the beginning, listening to the song that would soon become famous.

It was a great experience. I’ll never forget it. I shared my experience with the band.

I don’t claim to know a lot about music, but I know what matters to ME. I’ve never been a listener of Heavy Metal music, but “Better Man” reaches over that line. The lyrics, and what they are about, really move me. The short story is that the lyrics talk about a father’s love for his son. Couple that with the music and there is a song that carries me away.

If you want the long version of the story behind the song, show up Friday night and ask Mick. He wrote it.

RNC also mentioned that they owe a big thank you to Ric Rogers of Three Shades Blue for his help in starting the recording process for the band. RNC didn’t have the equipment to record at the time, and Ric really helped them to get rolling by recording the instruments. Ric has also been a big help in the mixing stage by giving some advice and input on using the software.

The other members of Rear Naked Choke are Mike Morgan, 1st guitar; Cody Mills, drummer; and Ferron Mercer, bass player. They are genuine Heavy Metal, and very good at it. If this is your kind of music, Friday night should be great!

Don