The Hermit Kings

This is the name of the band I have been playing with for the past month or so. We usually play Saturday and Wednesdays in a couple of local clubs. I'm not crazy about the name, but it is an improvement over the name we had last week which was "Heyday". Man, that was a crappy name. Naming bands is really difficult, maybe harder than putting an actual group of likeminded musicians together. It has to be memorable, simple, not too pretentious or contrived yet not overly cliched or original.

I was in a Jazz band in the spring. We had a great name! We all sat around one night drinking wine and "rehearsing". (this is where musicians just get drunk and talk about what they want to or should play, it is quite important for stage morale) We all wrote down 2 words on pieces of paper and then put them into a bowl. We took turns taking out new ones and the most interesting combo was "Shady" and "Playtoys"..."The Shadey Playtoys"! It was too bad there were only 2 bandmembers knew actually how to play Jazz.


Anyway, back to my new and less aptly named band. It is way more fun than Jazz, although I miss the prestige I felt when telling people I was a "Jazz musician"..."Reaaallly, what do play?...."Oh, ..strings". Great fun, but it involved hours of studying chords and writing out cheat sheets to tape to the back of my guitar. The new band plays almost all classic rock and 90's grunge. Loud and simple! No rehearsals, no arguments over key changes, just free beer and ringing ear drums.

What really gets me about this band is that I have to keep reminding myself that every guy involved, including myself, is a teacher. Our main mode of subsistence involves standing (or sitting for you lazy, lazy teachers) in front of a room filled with children and trying to either a) make them like you, or b) share something you yourself have studied for a long time.

wait a moment.....