Can You Still Rock In America?

Good question, and one I'm hoping to answer in the near future.

During the Move From Hell, I took time off from my choir, Choral Arts Ensemble, to focus on my mother and getting our house in order. (As an aside, I am happy to announce that I am typing this from the Room Formerly Known As The Room Of Death, now known as the office. At last the computer is out of the game room!) During this hiatus it started to become clear to me that I need a more physical and visceral musical outlet than just choral music (although I love it too). It's like enjoying both French cuisine *and* really good pizza.

As such, I made my first foray into the wonderful world of rock and roll tonight. Well, the first foray in a few years. The last band I joined lasted about three months, was a blues band (snore), I got very few singing opportunities, and after the drummer quit I made the drive up to Vancouver, WA every few days to help audition a drummer that couldn't keep time. Unfortunately, the band before that was the best band EVER and while I would play with these folks again in a heartbeat it's clear that we aren't getting back together anytime soon.

I was actually getting pretty nervous about this audition - I haven't done rock singing with a band at anything approaching a "serious" level in more than five years, and I wasn't really sure how my voice would hold up. I spent quite a bit of time going over the tunes I'd sent to them (I never got anything from them in the way of a list of songs), warmed up quite a bit in the car on the way over to rainy Dundee (out past Newberg!), and even had a little trouble finding the actual house as MapQuest had suggested I turn right instead of left at a critical point.

As it was, I'm afraid that this was not the right group for me. They wanted me to join, but it's just not going to happen. I've done enough bands now to know that when my Spidey Sense (tm) tingles, to just say no. In this case, the guys seem nice enough (no substance abuse problems), but I'm thinking that I need a group that either has a repertoire or has the chops to build one up quickly. This is not that band. Plus, I'm concerned that I'd be the *only* lead singer. Four hours in a smokey bar is probably going to be more than I can do until I build up my combat chops.

So, I came home and looked up a couple of other groups on Craigslist and have decided to audition frequently until I get the right vibe with the right people. I bring a lot to the table as a singer, and I'm even crazy enough to believe I say that without ego - more than one high-end choir director has told me I could sing with any group I chose to, and while that's in a different genre I've done enough rock music to know that it applies in that genre as well. Perhaps my friends Matt and KC, who read this and have seen me in action, can comment further.

Anyway, I'm looking. If you or anyone you know has a good-quality rock/pop group that needs a lead singer/frontman (and keys, if that sweetens the deal), please let me know via the comments. Me, I'm ready to rock and roll again. Before I get *too* old...