Should We Play El Paso?

Nuuska

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Nowhere near El Paso - Westchester County, NY. Not far from NYC.


Now - knowing your location - I reserve right to change my opinion - because from beginning it sounded as if you were somewhwre near El Paso - so - revised opinion - go for it, if you feel like it.
 

richardp69

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As I've gotten older I think I've gotten more wary. If you don't play it there is likely no possibility of offending anybody. If you do, then perhaps there is. I absolutely hate that things like what happened there can shape our feelings and decisions but I guess that's just the times we live in. I'd take the safe way personally and choose not to play it until wounds have had time to heal. But then again, what the hell do I know.
 

mavuser

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Nowhere near El Paso - Westchester County, NY. Not far from NYC.

Westchester County, NY, u would be way in the clear for playing that song. but if the other guys have reservations about it, maybe just let it go. Your show is the 30th? where?
 

gilded

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So what songs do you usually play? I mean, since the name of your band is About Half Dead, I assume you're playing a lot of Grateful Songs, but what else do you play? I want to see them all!
 

crank

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Westchester County, NY, u would be way in the clear for playing that song. but if the other guys have reservations about it, maybe just let it go. Your show is the 30th? where?

The 23rd at a Morris Yacht Club on City Island, NY. Kind of a blue collar club, lots of fisherman and sailors with reasonable size boats. They have a beautiful property on Long Island Sound and we are playing over the water on their pier. NYC skyline and the sunset will be behind us. I have a connection there through some friends in my ski club who are members of the yacht club.
 

crank

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So what songs do you usually play? I mean, since the name of your band is About Half Dead, I assume you're playing a lot of Grateful Songs, but what else do you play? I want to see them all!

Setlist as of now:

Set 1
Friend Of the Devil
El Paso
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed
Harder They Come
Love Me 2 Times
Miss You
US Blues
Sunday Papers
Scarlet Begonias/ Fire On the Mountain

Set 2
Break On Through
Dreams I'll Never See
Look Sharp
We Gotta Get Out of This Place
Eyes Of the World
Me & My Uncle / Big River
Riders On the Storm
Cumberland Blues
China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider

Set 3
Deal
Love Her Madly
Dead Flowers
The Letter
Mr Charlie
Hey Bulldog
Light My Fire
Operator
Bertha
Soul Kitchen
 

davismanLV

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if you tick all the "mass shootings in America" off the list .... how far do we go? How long until we can't mention ANY city, even though it has nothing to do with the shooting or anything other than chance location. Political sensitivities can be upset and ruffled all the time in this modern age. The song is not about that particular act of violence...... so do the song. How many songs do we have to tick off the list? Until there are no locations left to sing about. The unfortunate thing is it's a rather violent song with lots of guns and aggression so..... is dropping one song a big deal? Is it worth the backlash. Or do you wanna just say, "Hey, it's a song, we're doing it!!" That's what you're looking at from my perspective......

I'm probably no help at all, huh? :pirate:
 

fronobulax

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To get all warm and fuzzy, what will make the world a better place?

If it is you against the band then it is first an internal matter. No one in your audience will know (or care?) that you choose not to play it. But the whole band will know they lost if you do play it and the performance may suffer. So I might suggest you get very persuasive very soon or drop it.

If (once?) the band agrees then do it. Ignore the contemporary situation and say something after the song if it appears the audience needs a comment. Don't overthink this - fundamentally you are supposed to be entertainment, not crusaders.
 

dreadnut

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What, no "A Pirate Looks At 40?" Seems like a must-do for a sailing crowd...
 

mavuser

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The 23rd at a Morris Yacht Club on City Island, NY. Kind of a blue collar club, lots of fisherman and sailors with reasonable size boats. They have a beautiful property on Long Island Sound and we are playing over the water on their pier. NYC skyline and the sunset will be behind us. I have a connection there through some friends in my ski club who are members of the yacht club.

nice! i’ll keep that on the radar for the 23rd if im around there. where do u ski?
 

crank

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nice! i’ll keep that on the radar for the 23rd if im around there. where do u ski?

Where do I ski - why in the mountains of course!

Seriously though, I am a fairly serious skier. Around home, usually northern VT: Stowe or Jay Peak. We go to various regions out west every winter as well as occasional trips to European resorts. We already have 3 week long ski trips planned for next winter: Steamboat Springs CO, Jackson Hole WY, and Val di Fassa ITA.
 

gilded

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To get all warm and fuzzy, what will make the world a better place?

If it is you against the band then it is first an internal matter. No one in your audience will know (or care?) that you choose not to play it. But the whole band will know they lost if you do play it and the performance may suffer. So I might suggest you get very persuasive very soon or drop it.

If (once?) the band agrees then do it. Ignore the contemporary situation and say something after the song if it appears the audience needs a comment. Don't overthink this - fundamentally you are supposed to be entertainment, not crusaders.

Crank, I like what frono said.

One other thing. El Paso is the second song in your opening set, so it must be important to you guys; energy builder for the audience, gives you guys a chance to warm up, etc.

Accordingly, you have a lot of reasons for keeping it, don't you think? Unless you're tired of it and want to throw it in the circular file.

Have fun on the gig, Harry aka gilded
 

dreadnut

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"Out where the horses were tie-ie-ie-ied," if you have someone who can sing this part well, do it.

Another Buffet song, crank: "Son Of A Son Of A Sailor."
 

mavuser

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Where do I ski - why in the mountains of course!

Seriously though, I am a fairly serious skier. Around home, usually northern VT: Stowe or Jay Peak. We go to various regions out west every winter as well as occasional trips to European resorts. We already have 3 week long ski trips planned for next winter: Steamboat Springs CO, Jackson Hole WY, and Val di Fassa ITA.

very cool i am fairly serious about it as well, lived in Brek for a little while, still go out there a ton. lots of Stowe days. this year they have all merged and the pass works everywhere. id luv to have an acoustic jam in stowe sometime during ski season! but u are much better than me, at guitar, if u play in a band like that. on the hill though, i can probably keep up ;)
 
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