The Oakland Art and Soul festival was really quite big – with four stages spread over five or six blocks of downtown Oakland and running for three days.

We were playing the LGBT Plaza stage – which was actually part of the plaza in front of City Hall, with a natural auditorium in front of it. And it was a very professional set up – with a slick stage crew, high-end sound equipment, and a tented backstage area (!) – we could get used to this.

The main drawback was that the schedule was very tight, so they were using a common back line and drum kit for all bands. That meant we didn’t have to take much equipment (mainly just guitars and keyboards), and that setup/teardown was real easy. But it also meant that we were playing with unfamiliar amps, and that Emme was playing a conventional acoustic drumkit for the first time in years. And we didn’t get a sound check – just a level check and into the first song – with the sound guys sorting out the mix by about half way through it.

Overall, we played really well, despite the last gig being a month ago, and despite some occasional hiccups – such as Marilyn losing all her effects (watch that bypass switch honey!), and Emme having to do different fills/rolls in some places. And once the mix got cleaned up, the vocal monitor mix was really good, so we could really hit the harmonies. And despite the gaping yardage in front of the stage, we managed to get a few people up and dancing (in addition to Jamie), and got an increasing enthusiastic reception.

Did I mention we got paid for this gig. A nice change!

On a side note, Tori had a scheduling clash (surprise!) with Burning Man – so had driven down from the Nevada desert the night before, got the dust off, and then drove back up right after the gig. That’s dedication – or perhaps craziness?!

Jaime,
That picture of Tori is almost as luscious as she is! Good work. I appreciate your committment to documenting the LC Gals in all their exposures...

Love
Stella