Here Comes the Singer
One of the cool things about being a kid in the ’80s is your band could win a talent show in a shopping mall. Anything more ’80s than that?
In ’89—I think it was ’90—I joined a band through kind of a takeover in the lunchroom. There was a band playing, they didn’t have a singer, and I got up there and sang.
I shudder to think what that sounded like now. But anyway, I ended up joining the band. Could not have been that bad.
There was an indoor mall thing in Houston called Fame City, and they had a talent show at the Memorial City Mall location. And we entered and won it. Now this wasn’t the only Fame City—there were multiple ones—so I can’t claim to be the champion of all of it.
But we had the typical palette of ’80s rock and roll, which was the Cult, U2, Guns N’ Roses.
Somewhere in my house, there’s a cassette of this. I hid it so no one would find it. And, of course, at this point in my life, I have no idea where it is. Perhaps when we move, if we ever move, I’ll find it. Or, horrifyingly enough, my kids will find it.
I do remember very darkly colored, striped baggy shorts, a backwards fitted Oakland A’s hat and a vest, which, again, it’s like—I guess I was doing my best.
But we won. Which was ridiculous, but also super fun. I remember it being a pretty good show and enjoying it.
Everyone’s parents were there. Mine weren’t, but most of the band’s parents were there, and I can’t remember if we told people about it or if we were in that thing of maybe not. Maybe we didn't tell anybody. I remember no friends being there now that I think of it.
The band’s name was The Benefit. Come on...
Some of us went on to UT, and we tried to get together and do stuff, but man, I couldn’t have been a bigger idiot at the time. I just was not looking, sounding, or acting very rock and roll at all.
But that’s all to say this afternoon I was thinking about how Daphne Falls had a really good gig Saturday night.
It was MPC-based for me: programmed drums, programmed bass, and then monophonic synth lines over the top, some chords. And it felt really great and comfortable.
I’m really good at moving around in the MPC now, and I think that’s when you know you’ve got something—when you can do it live.
I talked to the sound guy afterward, and after I turned my bass up a little bit, he said it was great. And it did sound really good through the very loud house system. Like I thought it would sound, in the sense that it was designed with live in mind.
And I had a good DJ gig this week, too.
The feelings of similarity are there between these gigs.
For me, the Daphne Falls thing is making the band great for Anna and Josiah so they can do their thing. DJing is making the room better.
And it’s so different from what it used to be, where in high school it was all ego and looking the part and, I’m the singer, and you’re walking around thinking, here comes the singer for the band.
I don’t think I’ve ever thought, here comes the DJ. Or here comes the synth guy in the back. Or here comes the bassist.
And I’m really glad to be out of that mode. Not that I’ve been in it for decades, but I think the communal aspect of all this is what keeps me going. I’m just really happy to be in a place where it’s for the people around me.
It’s not ego. That’s been beaten out of me.
And I really do want to do more of the DJing. That’s kind of my focus right now.
Whereas a year ago, I was not in this place. Ready to hang up my DJ decks.
Now it feels like a legitimate second career.
Love it, and I think it’s showing in the shows.