“Shit Happens” or “Who is THEChad Taylor?”

Friday night, November 12, 2010, The Gracious Few rock band rolled into Chicago for a performance at the Double Door club situated in the illustrious Wicker Park area of the city.

If you don’t live in Chicago and you have never been to a show at the Double Door, you will soon discover half the trick of attending a show there is figuring out where the entrance is and why does the marquee out front say “Double Door Liquors, Inc. ?”  The venue is a great place to see live music and many now national acts played there while they called Chicago home.

Wikipedia lists notable local acts Emilie Autumn, The Smashing Pumpkins, Local H, Chevelle, Veruca Salt, Wilco, Liz Phair, Liquid Soul, and Cheap Trick, as well as a number of national and international talents, including The Rolling Stones as having graced their stage.

On this past Friday, The Gracious Few not only graced their stage, but guitarist Chad Taylor took a show ending tumble from it with closing remarks by lead vocalist Kevin Martin being, “Shit Happens”.  Fortunately Mr. Taylor didn’t break his leg and after a trip to the hospital is photographed out and about on crutches, taking the stage the following night.

You’ll note in viewing the video that the guitarist exemplifies  giving 100% to the performance from start to finish as he lays on stage playing his guitar.  He gave new meaning to an old adage that “the show must go on”.

The clip starts out with lead vocalist asking his band mates to autograph a napkin for a fan who passed it to him on stage.  I can safely say that in the hundred plus shows I have seen in my lifetime, never has one ended in that manner.

Back in October I posted a brief interview with vocalist and friend Kevin Martin, in which I recounted some of the funny things we did back on tour in 1993.

I have a twitter account that laid dormant for over a year until recently when I linked it to this site to alert the 8 or so friends (followers) I had when I posted a new article.

Shortly after publishing my article with Kevin I received an email notification that “THEChadTaylor” was now following me on Twitter.  Being totally honest with you I then had to look up who Chad Taylor was not only on his Twitter account but via Google.

My nephew will no doubt now disown me for admitting such a thing in public, as LIVE was the first concert he attended without parental supervision and raved about the performance for days on end to me.

The real kicker being that I had visited the studio where LIVE mixed Throwing Copper and witnessed some of the band mates up to shenanigans outside the studio regarding a barbecue grill  and lighter fluid.

Here it is, 17 years later and he is following me on Twitter, is band mates with one of my dearest buddies, and ends up with a trip to the hospital before I can ask him “Who is THEChad Taylor?”

So…how about an interview Mr. Taylor?

A short Cynthia and Kevin antics story for my friend Michelle because today is her birthday and she was kind enough to present me with a The Gracious Few CD for mine on Friday night in case I forget who THEChad Taylor is I can refer to said CD.

It was around 1995-1996, I had recently moved back to Chicago from Seattle and Candlebox was playing at the Aragon Ballroom for a couple shows.  Kevin’s parents being born and raised in the Chicagoland area, he has many relatives to catch up with whenever he returns.

He had an elderly great aunt who lived not far from my home and so I agreed that I would pick him up from the hotel and drive him to visit his family before the show.

First because I am notoriously late and am not a morning person, he had to call my mom to make sure I was awake and on my way.  Yes, he is the rockstar in this story.

We then pull up to one of Illinois infamous automatic highway tolls.  The motorist must deposit the toll change or the guard fence doesn’t rise and your tires can be punctured if you try to avoid the toll and pass the guard fence.  I have NO change on my person or in my car.

Now those of you that know Mr. Martin can imagine the look on his face and the tone in his voice when he asked me, “How do you fuckin’ live here and not have any fuckin’ change in your car?”

Luckily, a vehicle pulled up behind us at the toll while my stupidity was being debated.  I grabbed a dollar from my handbag, hopped out of my vehicle and traded the driver in that car the dollar for the twenty cent toll.

We then got lost in his aunts neighborhood and I had to stop and ask directions at a gas station, because God forbid a male ask for directions.

I then realized I had forgotten to take my medication in the morning and we had to drive to my home to get it before heading back into the city.  We arrived at the hotel just in time to catch the band van heading to the venue for the show.

The show was sold out and so much fun to watch, the after show pizza delivered to the van before we left for the hotel might have been the best pizza ever as we hadn’t eaten all day either and the view of Chicago from the hotel room was breathtaking.

Good times and yes, despite my “doh” moments all these years later, I can admit to Kevin that I didn’t I know Chad Taylor was his band mate  and he just winks and laughs out loud.

Note to all music lovers:  If you pass on the chance to see musicians of this caliber at a venue in your town for the lowly cost of $10.00, you are having a “doh” moment of epic proportions.  It really doesn’t get better than The Gracious Few, rock and roll hasn’t sounded this good in a long time.