In less than three weeks
A few years back, 2008 to be exact, I began working on a documentary about what it means to be a music artist in this day and age if you’re above thirty. I wanted to raise enough money to follow a band for a year or two that would fit the description for the doc. I looked at a few bands I wanted to approach but the money I would need to spend enough time to truly know what it’s like to be in this situation was beyond my means. It was not going to happen. I didn’t want to give up. Then I thought why not show what it’s like to go through the whole process of starting a band and the ups and downs of what a band goes through in it’s lifespan by going through all the steps myself. Pretty much start a band from scratch, get a name, write and record enough material for an cd length release, shoot a few music videos, gain a certain number of fans, get some press, book and perform one cool headlining show and call it quits. Over and out All that in less than 2 months.
Well, we did it. We called it EL QUICKIE. And it was one of the most exciting things I’ve ever been involved in.
Of course after our first and final show the question that was repeated over and over was: When would El Quickie play again?
The experiment went by so quickly that many folks found about the show when it was already too late.
For us this was a one time, one off, once in a lifetime thing. No ifs ands or buts Ending it after going through with all the steps was part of the magic. You can’t imagine how many requests came in for shows and events after our “debut y despedida”.
Several high profile gigs, too. But the answer was NO.
It was always NO.
From the second I decided to go forward with this experiment and I booked the date without knowing who would be in the band, what kind of music we’d play, what material we’d come up with or even before having a name; I knew that this had to be a one time deal.
For many reasons, the biggest one being the hard deadline.
You’d be surprised what you can accomplish when you have a hard deadline. Not a personal one that can get pushed around for “personal” reasons but a strict deadline that’s tied to not just you but a group of people down for the cause. People who in turn are responsible for meeting these goals in the time allotted. Meeting these goals with huevos, ganas and chepa.
If I left it open that we might perform again in the beginning it would’ve slowed down the creative process. We never would have finished the El Quickie record let alone be ready enough for a show.
“Gino” Jose Morales, “El Profe” Moises Baquiero, “Pablito” Paul Rinis and I,”Billy Ray” Giovanny Blanco hammered through. We knew time was kicking our ass and we did it. And we were all crazy busy with other bands, recordings, film projects, day jobs and family responsibilities that ate up most of our time but we were fired up.
The fire under our asses spread to others as well because we received unexpected help and support from all sides to complete the goals set forth. We wrote the songs, shot the videos, finished the record and played our show.
If we believed that it was even remotely possible that we would perform any other shows as El Quickie then El Quickie would never have been.
CUT TO: three years later
Moises and I crossed paths. We often would talk, text or see each other more than any of the other El Quickie band members. We even talked and daydreamed about other music projects with the same fervor of two 7th grade classmates coming up with band names and drawing rock and roll logos for bands that would never be (but would be so cool if they were). Moises, “El Profe”, said in the latest of our random texts “we can’t let another year go by without bringing back El Quickie”.
I knew he was right but I was stuck at figuring how we’d do it. I felt it had to happen ASAP or the thought would fade in the face of all of the other things happening. The everyday things and the rainy day things. We had to do this but it had to happen NOW.
But how?
You see Moises, Jose, Paul and I are busier than ever.
Moises is (was) in the midst of the crazy Los Abandoned reunion while still being one of Latin Music scene top session bassists. Really.
Jose is a player. He plays not in one but three bands all the while holding down a full time job. It reminds me of that old “In Living Color” skit of the Jamaican family with many jobs (man, you’ve got one band…I’ve got THREE!)
Paul is kicking ass and skins on the road with premier indie rock band, IO Echo and he won’t be back in LA ’til sometime in November. Rock Star
And I? I’m in the middle of editing a feature I shot earlier this year, converting my band SHU-SHO’s cd “fatcamp” from a soft release to a hard release (look it up kids) and finishing up a handful of projects in different stages like scripts, music videos and the documentary that got me here in the first place.
Who cares? I texted the remaining quickies and everyone said yes (thank god). It took a couple of days before we agreed on a date but we figured it out.
Sunday November 20th (that’s three weeks away -crap!)
And the place? It was a no brainer. Having seen more than a few performers on it’s bar/stage in the last year (including, all the way from Mexico: El Conjunto Nueva Ola), EASTSIDE LUV Wine Bar y Queso had to be the joint. One message to our man Guillermo Willie Uribe and the deal was sealed. The two questions that remain now are what exactly are we going to do and where the hell are those mustaches?
The Amazing Return of
EL QUICKIE
Sunday November 20th 9:00PM
@ Eastside Luv Wine Bar y QUEso
1835 E. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA, 90033
Tel : 323-262-7442
www.eastsideluv.com/
