Michael Murphy & The MOB

July 13, 2001 is a day that changed music for me forever. At least my participation in it.

Before that time I was just a bass player in this band or that band. At that particular time I was in a band called Liquid Blue Featuring Brittnie Lee. While the band itself played some interesting shows including the Prairie Dog Blues Festival, the band itself was nothing special aside from the fact that Brittnie Lee was like 12 or something. Her dad Jason was the "guitar player/bandleader". He wasn't quite to the level of Dave from the 10-2-1 Incident, but he made Lost Dog Mike and Kerouac Drive Mike look like great finds.

I suspected immediately there was something not cool about this guy but I signed up anyway because the girl was good and it was blues. Blues was where I wanted to be even though at the time bands were pretty much classic or new rock.

Other than meeting some other good musicians who were good people (the second guitar player and the drummer) there's probably not anything that's going to make me write the story of Liquid Blue Featuring Brittnie Lee. I've already told you most of what was important about it and that's that.

But there's one more thing.

The only reason we played Prairie Dog after being together for a month, and the only reason the next thing happened is because Jason knew people. Truth be told, with him in the band, it sucked. If we could have got rid of him it would have been something, but he was like Jerry Jones refusing to get the hell out of the Cowboys way.

So what happened is on July 13, 2001 Big Brother & The Holding Company (yes, indeed, Janis Joplin's original band- those still alive anyway) came to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Because Jason knew somebody we got free tickets and Brittnie was going to get on that big stage and sing Mercedes Benz all by herself. Of course I went because the tickets were free and Peter Albin, the bass player is an influence, very groovy bass player.

Brittnie was to perform between the opening act Michael Murphy & the MOB (Men of Blues) and Big Brother.

The opening act was incredible. Michael Murphy comes out dressed in a flashy suit and a mile wide smile and plays a tremendous set of one of a kind blues with a phenomenal bass player and even better drummer. Blew me away.

While Brittnie is getting ready to perform, those of us there in her band were taken backstage to meet Big Brother. I got my picture with Peter Albin and the whole nine yards.

When they went to get on stage I was going out the backstage door to have a smoke. Standing outside cooling off by his lonesome was Mr. Murphy.

I told him he played a great show, and I loved his style, both musically and in terms of his show and manner of dress.

I've always believed bands should be class acts and look and be the part. I'd never been in a band like that yet, but that's what I thought it should be like.

So he thanks me with a barely perceptible southern accent and we go back in for the show.

Afterwards for some reason, I wanted to find him and thank him again for such a great performance and buy a CD.

I end up finding him in his green room and we talked more. Turned out he was currently from my hometown of Appleton, WI. No foolin'. He migrated North to escape ex-wives he told me. He was only partially joking.

We talked. About everything from music to food. What an incredible guy to just sit and talk to. Got my picture with him too. I'm not one to get star struck on local celebrities, but this guy had something.

At the time I was a chef in addition to Liquid Blue and I had also begun dabbling with computers & website design and we talked about that.

We exchanged email addresses. He thought he might want a website one day. I thought I'd do that for this guy no problem!

I left feeling pretty good and headed back to the country. Ok, I lived in Adam's County at the time. Not something I'm proud of, it just was.

Not long after that, the version of Liquid Blue I was in fell apart and I took the guitar player & drummer with me. We put together a little band called Foolish Pleasure and played one gig for a community event. After that we were looking for a singer. I sang for that first show because I had to, but a singer I am not.

So while we're doing that, I get an email from Michael that he wants to get a website going. I get to work.

Things are coming together with the information I have and I asked him to get me bio information on his bass player & drummer.

He tells me to hold off on that because he was going to be making some changes.

Ok.

Then I get another email explaining why he was going to make some changes which amounted to completely reconstructing his band, and he asked me if I'd be interested in playing bass for him.

Well I didn't hesitate to say yes, though I wasn't sure I was really on his level.

He also needed a drummer and wanted to add a second lead guitar player so he could put his down & just sing. He didn't think he was much of a guitar player back then, though real soon I had to convince him otherwise.

He needed a band, I had an un-established band that needed a singer.

There was also the issue of distance between Appleton and where I lived, the fact that I had a day job, and the fact that he played all the time, all over the state and region. same case with the rest of my band.

But I ask them if they want to try out for it too, and they did.

I get back in touch with Michael and invite him to my place as it's closer for all of us and I had a big music room at the time.

He told me to just book a show somewhere in our area for him.

Ok.

Johann's in Richford wanted the show. It was my impression that Michael Murphy and the MOB would be playing and myself, Eric and Kathy (aka Kat) would just sit in for one or two for him to see how we did.

We get there and there is no MOB.

We ARE the MOB this night. WHAT?!?! A whole show? Never played together? No practice? No set lists? Sh*t. Well this is going to be bad. There's no way I can play without knowing what I'm going to be playing and this is going to be a lost opportunity. And I'm going to be embarrassed and I'm going to look like an idiot hack to a guy I respected, admired and would have loved to play with.

Only none of that happened.

We had a spectacular show, played an hour longer than we needed to and by 2:00AM, Foolish Pleasure was no more, and there was a new Michael Murphy & The MOB.

I had never until that point in time been as excited about my musical future.

How I was going to manage it I didn't know but I was going to find away.

I asked when practice was and where. Michael laughed. "You cat's are fine, next show is next Friday in Minocqua!".

Wow.

That ended up being too much for Eric. He was really in love with his day job, had a family he enjoyed spending time with and just couldn't commit to the schedule he saw in front of him.

After Minocqua Michael wanted to get back to work finding another guitar player. It took some doing but I convinced him he didn't need one. Mainly because he was really a very good blues guitar player in his own right, but also because I hated (and still will not if there's a choice) playing in two guitar bands (you'd have to be a musician whose done it to grasp what a horrible experience that can be).

So Eric went back to Liquid Blue for awhile while Kat & I headed of to work with Michael. It was always a funny joke that Kathy was a female in the "Men of Blues".

We played all over. The restaurant I worked at booked us and then shortly after that show it closed and I was jobless.

Except I wasn't.

I was now a full time, no sh*t professional musician who played for a living. Kathy was a housewife and part time professional clown for Circus World in Baraboo and she had no issue making the transition either.

So many shows, so many good times.

There were times we'd play five or more shows a week. There were times Kat couldn't make it for one reason or another and Michael had a couple great go to guys for those occasions. Russ Allen and Tim Hummel. Incredible drummers.

Also had that time I had no drivers license as a result of breaking the law concerning blood alcohol content levels while driving, and I ended up staying with Michael at his house in Appleton during gig weeks going home with Kathy on the days off.

We spent a huge chunk of time together, playing or not and got pretty close.

We've got as many stories about hanging out & driving to gigs as we have about gigs themselves.

We'd play all over and even though some places were hours away, they did not provide nor pay enough for motel rooms and we'd drive back.

Michael used to drive the old white van. Packed with gear. No back seats.

Besides Michael & I there was also our sound tech Wendy, who much like me had listened to Michael play, met him and just wanted to be around him. Many years later they actually ended up getting married! Which is funny when you consider all the nights we spent in motel rooms, Michael in one bed, me in the other & Wendy on a cot!

So we'd drive. Michael & I in the seats, Wendy sitting on some gear between the seats.

Michael got pulled over in the middle of the night more than once. Once he fell asleep driving and Wendy and I must have been out too. Somebody called him in.

Officer asks him if he was sleeping he says "I'm not now!"

Many stories.

We played a two day gig in Iron Mountain. Indianhead Ski Resort.

Awesome experience. Probably one of my favorite shows to date except for a couple things.

It was awesome hanging out in ski lodge all day, going out to the hills, meeting people, drinking wine fireside and talking, spending two nights in the lodge.

When the first show was over Michael pulled me aside and said after the next night we were going to have to let Kat go.

Kathy was a country & western drummer. Old style. And she was good at that. When it came to blues though, she never really got the groove, and she was very stiff. I liked playing with her, I never like seeing anyone get fired from anything, especially not a band. I knew she had issues and as a bass player whose played with a variety of drummers, I can usually cover if they flub something. I cover quite a bit, but obviously not enough hat Michael didn't notice.

But here's the rub: Right before we headed to Iron Mountain Kathy told me she was getting divorced and mo9ving to Iowa with some other family. Neither she nor I were looking forward to talking to Michael about this.

Well, the end of that first show was my lucky moment. To this day (or until one or the other reads this) Michael thinks he fired Kat and Kat thinks she quit. I told them both I told the other what they said and I never told either a thing.

Just get lucky sometimes.

Then it was time to find a new drummer and I found him in Wisconsin Dells at a jam session. His name was Victor, he was a small Italian guy with gray hair and a moustache & goatee. Very good.

Michael has a song on his second album No Bar Too Far- called Supermarket Blues. It's a song he wrote and Tim Hummel (aka "Dr. Smooth")  originated the drum intro which is quite cool. Michael never played it after Tim moved on because he couldn't find a drummer that could nail the intro. Until Victor.

Of we went again. A lot of shows, a lot of miles, a lot of memories.

Victor was a great drummer but we started to suspect he had a bit of a drinking problem. Which you know, somebodies problem is their problem if it isn't affecting anyone else right?

There was a problem though. Back at that time Michael had firm rules about absolute professionalism at all times including not drinking before or during the show. To make sure the audience got the best show possible. To make sure the venue got it's moneys worth. To make sure his reputation and the bands stayed sparkling. Michael had his own issues earlier with other substances, and I can say that because he doesn't hide it. It's part of what makes him a great blues musician. So he was very cautious about his and the bands reputation, something that he instilled deeply in me as well.

We began to think Victor was drinking before shows, but he still played fine and we never actually saw him drink, so Michael let it be.

One time he did catch him at the bar having a drink and Victor apologized and said he forgot. So Michael just reminded him.

Sometime later we had picked up a great saxophone player, Mack. One of our first shows with him was at a place in Merrill. It was an outdoor gig and we were up on a trailer bed stage. We had played another place the night before and stayed in town at a motel. We all saw Victor going back & forth to the bar, but he said he wasn't drinking.

Showtime.

We can smell the alcohol on him now that he had been drinking all day.

We got set up fine. Victor stumbled around a bit but got his kit together and sounded good for the sound check.

First song we start playing and Victor massively messes up the timing. I could not cover it nor correct it and Michael knew it and stopped. Looked at Victor and said "we'll just do that again".

And again Victor flubbed unbelievably. Again I could not cover, again Michael stopped.

This time Victor stood up behind his drums and yelled "WHAT?!?!" and promptly fell over the top of the drum set.

Michael said "you're fired, get off the stage". Victor of course threw a fit but started packing. Wendy put music on the CD player while every one waited. I was mortified. The audience seemed traumatized themselves.

After Victor and his drums were off the stage I asked Michael what we were going to do. He said "we're gonna play. You're the drummer too now". So voice, guitar, sax & me playing the most percussive bass I have ever played before or since. Damn show went off perfectly and nobody missed the drummer.

We were on our second song when somebody came running up to tell us Victor was down in the ditch just a bit down the road and was being arrested for drunk driving.

The audience gave a cheer and round of applause, but me, I wasn't so happy. On the on hand I felt bad for him, but even worse, after this show I was going to have to figure out how to call his wife and tell her what happened. Back then cell phones weren't every where like today and none of us had one and getting someone to let you make long distance calls on their landline wasn't the easiest task.

The show went on that night and into the future. We did not get another permanent drummer and we used Russ & Tim regularly depending on what part of the state we were playing.

The place we played, the faces we played for, the experiences we had are innumerable. We played Menominee Casino at the bar stage while Chubby Checker played the auditorium next to us. Paid tickets and we stole his audience. We were informed that he was not happy. We played a place that doubled as a strip club and had a stripper throw her bra at us. She later asked for it back because it was brand new and she got carried away. Her husband offered the entire band carnal knowledge of his wife if we were to give it back.

We played a place called Spikes that was so small they built a stage on the kitchen ceiling and we had to climb a ladder with our gear to do the show.

On and on.

Then the unthinkable happened.

One night we had a semi-crappy show at a place called Hero's in Green Bay. No biggy. Bands have bad nights from time to time.

I went home afterwards and the next morning I got an email from Michael and I got hotheaded and sent one back. I have no memory of what it was even about, but it got nastier from there. Michael never officially fired me, I never officially quit, we did some pretty mean sh*t to each other and didn't speak for years.

I sold all my gear and quit playing for many years after that.

I ain't gonna lie. I missed the guy. I missed playing with him, driving with him, hanging out, all of it.

I don't remember how many years later it was but it was a few when someone needed a band for something. I no longer played, nor was I at all involved in the music scene and Michael was the only one I knew who was good enough for the job.

Of course I wasn't going to ask him so I just gave the guy Michael's website address. They worked out a show. He sent me an email to thank me for the referral.

It was in my backyard so I went.

When we saw each other it was like nothing ever happened and we remain close to this day. I was there when he and Wendy were finally married. I still go to watch him when I can get away. Sometimes I sit in, sometimes I don't. Once in awhile he'll call me to do a whole show with him if he needs a bass player for whatever reason, and I always try to do it regardless of what else may be going on. I stop by his house whenever I'm in town, I know his kids, we've always got a hug for each other.

Michael is one of my oldest & dearest friends.

I worry about him sometimes as he gets older and the blues demons come calling, but I don't worry too much because he always finds his way back on course.

I learned so much from Michael about not just blues or the music business, but life itself and being who I am rather than what or who I'm expected to be.

Before Michael I wanted to be a blues and jazz bass player. I settled for being a rock and metal bass player because that's who needed bass players.

One of my new bands, Gideon's Radio (check it out! look us up on I-Tunes!- hey- my site, my shameless plugs!) we're a blues band that evolved into doing some classic rock again as long as it is blues based, because as a band you do need to play the market, but I do not and will not ever play anything that isn't blues or jazz or a direct descendent in a band, ever again. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a snob. I'll pull my guitar off the wall and crank up the distortion and play Crazy Train or some Metallica or whatever for fun. I'm not a guitar player. I'm not a metal player. I like all kinds of music but it's blues & jazz that inspires me and moves me. Michael taught me to stick to what is me and not sell out for bigger pay checks or whatever.

As one of the last generations to experience the original blues masters I feel a responsibility to not only be true to my chosen musical form, but to use my position as a musician to educate the younger generations and keep this music alive to whatever extent I can. I love having the ability to play music that leads to other music that ends up demonstrating how every music we listen to today evolved from blues and jazz. Michael taught me that (with the help of the old masters, a bunch of albums and a few books).

When I think things like I just wrote, I remember a free concert he had us do at the East Troy High School. Just playing for the kids and telling them about the history of the blues. And his number of wives!

What a great man, a great musician,  a great ambassador of the music that has become part of his soul and paid his fare through the colorful life he has lead, and a great example for other  musicians.

Michael would completely disagree with that. He's sort of shy & reserved, self deprecating to the extreme and is absolutely clueless as to the profound affect he has on the people & world around him.

As he gets older he gets less sure of himself. He's threatened retirement so many times I've lost track. He can't stand up holding a heavy guitar for very long so he sits and gets annoyed about that and he has some unpleasant bouts with depression, but he keeps on playing.

And he will keep on playing until that final curtain call. And I and many others will continue to be influenced and affected by him.

When that final curtain call does occur, I sincerely hope that it will be revealed to him just what a great man he truly is and how many lives he has touched, changed and influenced. I hope that he discovers that having done bad things doesn't make one a bad man.

Mostly I hope he discovers that he was loved.

When I first worked on Michael's website www.bigdogmurphy.com , before joining the MOB, I was looking for something catchy for a tagline. I came up with something that worked and he still uses it to this day, although I think after all these years he thinks it was his line, and that's fine by me:

Michael Murphy. The Big Dog. The Memphis Ghost. He is quite a character. He is a song.

July 13, 2001 is one of many days that changed my life forever. I met one of the greatest blues/rock bassists of the 60's & 70's.

I see that in the picture but I don't really remember it, or what Peter was like personality wise.

I remember every moment of meeting Michael outside the Riverside and in the green room like it was yesterday.

Right down to our discussion of the merits of bleu cheese salad dressing.

And I always will.

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