Flash Band Project – In Theory!

It was three weeks in the making!  Three weeks of sporadic group practices, and some practicing on our own…? A little.  Anyway, I’m talking about the great event that is the Flash Band Project in D.C.

One Sunday evening, musically inclined strangers gathered at a house so that strangers they would be no more.  Taking up three areas of the house they ate, drank, and most of all played music.  All kinds of music – funk, jazz, folk, oldies, rock… you name it.  The musicians scouted each others talents for who they might want to snatch up for three weeks of intense musicianship.

For the record, I took my mandolin to the meet and greet – it was the lightest instrument I could bring and still sing to that I had.  I mostly remember playing with fiddler players, eating cheese and grapes, and singing the Cranberries’ Zombie.  But by the end of the night had found a small circle in the kitchen in which I thought, “maybe these people would like to form a band”.  To my luck one of those people contacted me a few days later and soon we had a group of five titled String Theory.

String Theory!

Two fiddlers, a viola, a bass, and me playing guitar and mandolin gathered four times to rehearse what would be our set for the main event.  This line-up included a string version of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, a song I quickly put together a track for on the computer, and a tune the bassist had written.  We rehearsed at one of the fiddler’s digs and on the day of the gig took the practice to the rooftops (literally…. and yes, I’m trying to use stereotypical language).

Night of the gig, we were at the club for a long time – 6 hours, I think, total.  Of course, who’s counting?  There were a ton of awesome groups there playing great songs that people could sing along or bust a move to, which was a good thing since the event had a “dance party” theme.  Even with the sound guy doing his best, our arrangement of acoustic instruments proved to be a challenge for the hip hop club.  But we managed and got through our set, leaving the rest of the night to be enjoyed.

Some friends of mine were nice enough to come out, shout “STRING THEORY” in-between songs, and clap along after warning them that there would be clapping involved.

I got to meet some really cool, talented people there and I hope to find myself jamming with them again soon!