The Great BB King by Scot "Little" Bihlman

 

Despite our attempts to understand and make sense of the world, humans are unlimited in our knowledge and understanding. We are constantly influenced and distracted by external factors, and struggle to see the truth that lies beyond the tangible and temporary. We are caught in a cycle of constant change and growth, striving to reach a state of absolute and eternal transcendence.

~ SLB

I hear a worn out guitar case full of old stickers slamming shut and rattling the buckles like a mislaid tambourine piercing the green room with a bombshell. Looking up through my long curly hair I feel the unrelenting and merciless high frequency hit my psyche with a cosmic bucket of ice water. All my hypnotizing anxiety runs with the vengeance of a ghost train shaking loose lost memories to all the gigs that finally brought my band and I to this time and place. My band and I, we got the BIG call for the BIG show at the BIG venue on the BIG night!

Our “green room” which is technically a fancy name for a dressing room is very small with very little catering, and the backstage guests and crew have already rifled through our deli tray like sleazy robbers from a cheap hotel. It’s all pretty funny and concerning at the same time. I mean depending on your mental constitution as you sit there watching and hoping for someone to say, “hey hands off, that stuff’s for the opening band.” However no one ever does and like good soldiers everyone in the band just makes sure to grab their setlist, water and hopefully a towel that doesn’t look like it came out of yesterday’s dumpster. In Lehman‘s terms It’s technically, the bare essentials to have with you on stage as a safety net.

The temperature in the green room is always hit or miss depending on what part of the world you’re in and the size of the venue. It’s now time to start thinking about warming up and getting my physical and mental faculties together. This is where your mind starts to wonder about the bullshit soundcheck we received when we showed up which is literally par for the course on shows like this. Are the monitors  loud enough? Could you hear everyone on stage? Are the vocals loud enough and balanced with the guitar?  Well according to the stage manager the only criteria for our soundcheck was how fast we can mimic a NASCAR pit crew by getting on and off stage in seconds flat, and the only thing we can really do is dig in and stay focused – execute, execute.

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However, tonight is a whole different kind of experience. Tonight we ride with the King on the coattails of a giant. It’s his people that have come in droves to witness a true king of his people and his artistry. We are more than grateful to be on this bill and let me tell you we are more than happy to oblige!

As I start to reel in my psyche and call upon my previous life as an outside linebacker, it’s time to join the tribe backstage as we get ready to flex all the musical muscle we have. Walking to the venue through the door and down the dark hallway, it starts twisting, and turning. I navigate the crowd as best I can while wondering who the hell all these people are and how they come to be backstage. And then I hear that unmistakable voice. The voice the whole world has come to know and love as the king of the blues. Mr. BB King. The master and commander and his incredible blues army. Like a big Buddha, he sits in the center of his green room swarmed by his loved ones. His children, grandchildren, nieces, cousins, friends and even his ex-wives are all there to be at the feet of the king. It is a sight to be seen and a memory that will stick with me forever. You see I was only 26 years old and for a young long haired motorcycling midwestern boy coming up through the ranks it was priceless. As I passed by the door of his room unnoticed there was only one thought I had. Go BIG or go home! It’s time to kick ass and anything lower than that bar line would be unacceptable. To whatever moving parts, the universe made for us to share the stage in this particular time and space we could not fall short of incredible. The pressure is on and we have to leave it all out on the stage every night. And we did night after night.  Everywhere we went every last drop of blood, sweat and tears was left on stage. It was one of the greatest experiences of my professional life. The feeling one gets digging deep and rising up proving time and time again, that if people pull together with a beautiful vision we all might have what it takes to be in the white hot spotlight and walk among giants….