I've been waiting a while for this show.  Ever since I saw Gordie Johnson playing bass for Rich Robinson (Black Crowes) at Lee's Palace in October 2004, I met up with Gordie afterwards and asked him what he had on the back burner.  He wasn't real specific but he did tell me at the time that he had an album on the way and he wasn't done by a long shot.  Lo and behold a wee while later, I hear Gordie HAS a new band, a new album and a new persona... Grady.  I popped by the venue to see if I could get hooked up with a photo pass... I do everything last minute and people seem to take pity on me!  Well if luck didn't have it, Big Ben strolled up and gave me the nod for a photo pass.  Not only for the show but as the band disappeared into the venue and I turned to walk away, Ben stuck his head out the door and said, "you wanna come shoot the sound check?" 

THIS doesn't happen too often.  Lotsa bands hate anyone being around for sound check, let alone some asshole photographer.  So I was as discreet as I could be with a flash blasting away and I got a couple good shots to show you fine people.  After the sound check I took off to a nearby bar for a bite and a few pints to gear up for the show and in walks a guy I happened to know but never actually met face to face.  Him and his buddy were up for the show and I told them they were in for a treat as the Denim was one of the best sounding little bars you're gonna hear a band in.  Unfortunately, if you were pressed up against the stage, you couldn't hear the great job the sound woman laid on us.    Yes that's right all you libbers... sound was done by a WOMAN!!!!!! And a babe at that! If you were at the back of the bar, the sound was perfect... at the front, all we could really hear was Gordie's fuckin Marshalls!!! 

Not that there's anything wrong with hearing Gordie's fuckin Marshalls but Gordie likes to turn it to eleven... or louder.  I've spoken of the aural assault Gordie likes to hand out to people night after night.. well this night was only different than the rest in that I didn't bring any ear protection and my dumb ass was parked right in front of Gordie's fuckin Marshalls.  The bar started out pretty empty but quickly filled up about half-way through the Waking Eyes set.  Thank god.  I was starting to worry about a shitty turnout and an empty venue usually means a piss poor performance for any band.  The Waking Eyes, who I recently saw open for Collective Soul, set 'em up... and Grady knocked 'em down and out.  With a shitload of old Big Sugar tunes and a bunch of new stuff, we really got treated to some of the heaviest blues/country/rock you're gonna find anywhere.  All in all, Gordie's still got it going on.  He still is one of the coolest fuckers you're gonna find on stage or off and he's still turning out great music for great people.  I was supposed to go shoot them again the next night in London but was so hung over from the night before, there was just no fucking way I could make that show.