Seeking Nirvana

All my life, I've wanted to be one of those fortunate few that can claim to have been present at a historic concert. I wanted to be able to say I was there when Jimi set his Strat alight, when James Brown brought his rumble to the jungle, or when Ozzy bit the bat.

But history is a funny thing. You can't really plan for it. It's one of those things, particularly in the world of rock, that sort of sneak up on you. It's also the sort of thing that you often don't realize is happening until years after the fact. I bring this up because it was recently announced that a DVD of Nirvana's set at the 1992 Reading Festival will be released in November. The news release, as news releases often do, touted the concert as, you guessed it, historic.

That was news to me, and significant as well.

I was at that show.

I have always remembered that show as excellent, one of the better live sets I've seen. That's particularly notable because I was wallowing in a sea of sticky mud with tens of thousands of unwashed English folks, and it would, quite honestly, take quite a lot to engage me in such dire conditions.

But historic?

Perhaps. This was, after all, the biggest band in the world performing at its peak. The show was one of the final dates before drugs and fame caused the wheels to wobble and eventually fall off. It featured songs off the classic Nevermind and the debut of tracks from the yet-to-be-recorded In Utero.

I ask again - was it historic?

I don't know.

It's tough to accept any honorific included in a news release without cynicism. I will, however, acknowledge this: I am excited to see that set again. I'm excited to hear those songs without the mud and masses and filtered through nearly 20 years of musical experiences. I'm excited to see whether I can find my own bobbing head in the sea of humanity. Most of all, I'm excited to see whether I have, in fact, witnessed history.

get your wings

The organizers of Rock Fore! Dough will be spending September taking a swing at wings.

First Tee of Augusta will hold the inaugural Wing Swing at 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27, at First Tee, 3165 Damascus Road. The event will feature eateries showing off their winningest wing recipes, vying for the title of Wing Swing King. Entertainment will be provided by The Beatles tribute act Ed Turner & Number 9. The event will also feature Kid's Zone inflatables. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the gate. Wings are included. Children 8 and under will be admitted free with a ticketed adult.

See www.wingswing.org.

Beatle bucks

It recently came to my attention that for the past two years, Ed Turner & Number 9 have been paid for The Beatles benefits staged each August at the Imperial.

I'm glad to hear it.

I called Mr. Turner, and he confirmed that each member of the band is paid about $1,400 for the two performances. That might, on the surface, seem like a lot, but let's break it down.

The band rehearses twice a week, for at least four hours, for four months before the performance. Mr. Turner said the weekly average is probably about 11 hours. Beatles music is hard. That's what it takes, even for musicians as trained and talented as Number 9.

That means that members of the band are paid about $7 per hour. That's less than minimum wage.

There's more to be factored into that number, however. For instance, that does not take into account the time spent practicing the songs at home, or prepping for and playing warm-up dates, such as this year's rooftop and Sky City shows. It doesn't include the time spent promoting the shows, appearing on television or, even worse, talking to newspaper reporters.

It certainly doesn't take into account those things more difficult to quantify, such as the years spent becoming musically proficient enough to be able to pull off these impressive sets. How do you put an hourly rate on the time spent away from family and friends, holed up instead with Mean Mr. Mustard?

And, lest we forget, playing music costs money. Guitar strings cost money. Drumsticks and heads cost money. Instrument maintenance costs money.

Besides, this is an annual payday we're talking about. While other local bands are out doing the grind in public, playing weekly for $50 and a tab, Number 9 members are holed up getting tight for their all-too-rare appearances. I'd be curious to see how the numbers of a popular bar band and Number 9 compare.

Of course, all this would be academic if, despite being billed as benefits, no money made its way to charities, but that has hardly been the case. This year, the concerts cleared $27,000. Over the past three years, they have raised $90,000.

For all of that, Number 9 gets paid $7 hour. If you ask me, it would be a bargain at twice the price.

Boy with a band

I'm not sure exactly how long I've been telling Will McCranie he would be better suited playing with a band. Did he have his driver's license when I began my crusade? Had his voice changed? It's tough to remember. It's been that long.

Fortunately, Stubborn Will has heeded my advice. Recent missives from his home in New York indicate that W ill is discarding his sensitive solo guy routine in favor of a more rocking full-band sound. That's very good news. Even when he played solo, Will's songs have demanded more attention, a bigger and broader sound. It will be interesting to see if, over time, he agrees, and how this experiment will continue to evolve.

Be u.s. proud

Fans of Will McCranie can vote for him in this year's Singer-Songwriter Contest - but they had better hurry. We're pulling the plug on the democratic process at 6 p.m. Friday. Vote now. It's what made this country great.

Well, that and the cheeseburger.

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.