Once in a while, the stars align. As a Minnesota cover band, you sometimes get lesser than optimal attendance at an indoor venue during the summer- particularly when the weather is nice.
Sugar Buzz had taken a much-needed 7+week break to vacation, learn material, up our equipment game. The show at Mainstreet Bar and Grill would be our first outing since that break.
Guitarist Henry debuted his new guitar rig that Paul had worked with him to master. Brendan was fresh off a vacation in Italy. The others spent time with other projects, family fun – graduations and weddings.
We rehearsed once to dust off the cobwebs, but we were “hot to go”. The venue was busy during soundcheck. There happened to be a tent party at a local brewery down the street the same night. Would that help or hurt us? We were not sure.
By the downbeat of “renegade”, the first song of the night, we could tell this was going to be a high energy evening. By set 2, the dancefloor was packed like sardines in the can, and the choruses of MR. BRIGHTSIDE from the audience sing-a-long nearly drowned out the band.
Pete and Lorie from near Minot ND came by on their way to celebrate their 40th anniversary (in route to NY). Several other birthdays and anniversaries were shouted from the stage. And in our new song debut, the crowd displayed the H-O-T-T-O-G-O hand gestures made famous in the music video. We struck a chord. Whether Chappell Roan, or Metallica, Journey or Nirvana, the crowd danced and sang their way through the night.
At one point, one of our favorite local music photographers couldn’t get in until others left as the venue was “AT CAPACITY”. Once she was able to join us, we admitted the “AT CAPACITY” was music to our ears. Sugar Buzz kept them there all night, and after our encore, we plodded across sticky floors to pack up and breathe a sigh of relief. We did our job. We also helped a venue make their money, and…. Sugar Buzz was back.