Monday, November 15, 2010

1 stage, 30 people, 40 years -- part 1

Last week I was incommunicado largely due to Asleep at the Wheel's big 40th anniversary show.  Which was incredible and amazing and inspiring and exhausting, all at the same time.

For me, it was a week filled with nervous/excited energy. I mean, I'm seven years younger than the band. I joined the Wheel just a little over 5 years ago, which makes me one of the new, new kids.  And the musicians who came before me...what can I say? I was a little intimidated!  The female vocalists alone were enough to get my knees knockin'.  Chris O'Connell and Maryann Price are singers who I listen to and try my hardest to just approximate. Because me? I'm a good singer. But Chris and Maryann. They're great singers.

Maryann Price, Leon Rausch and Chris O'connell

I've talked about this before, but I can get a little fan girlish around people I admire. I'm a gusher, which can be totally embarrassing, so in order to combat the gushage I sometimes go the opposite way and just. stop. talking. Which makes me seem less like a fangirl and more like and uptight stick-in-the-mud.

So there was that, how would I act? And then, oh yeah, I was going to sing with them. Which was just nervous making for me.  Would I hold my own? Would they totally laugh at me?  I had no idea.

Luckily for me both Chris and Maryann were delightful both personally and musically. I felt immediately comfortable with them.  Like most fret inducing situations, the anticipation was way worse than the reality.  Though, I'll admit, the nerves didn't completely go away until the show was over.  Singing next to those ladies, listening to Chris during "Nothing Takes the Place of You," and watching Maryann rock "I'm an Old Cowhand," I realized I still have a long way to go as a singer.  



3 comments:

Jon Berry said...

I started listening to AATW when Chris was holding down the female vocal part - all those cool songs are still on my ipod playlist. I love and miss her voice and hated to miss the show last week.
BUT - and this is a big but - when we heard you at Oshkosh this last July, you earned a spot in our appreciation of the role of female vocalist par excellant for AATW. Love your voice and your new album. You are you! ... and we love it(you).

Ray Treadway said...

I'm sorry to have to disagree with you, but while the other two were great, you ARE great and you're version of "I'm an Old Cowhand" has earned a treasured spot on my iPhone playlist. Keep up the good work!

EMQ said...

Thank you both! I really do dig the kind words!