As the Whale's Knees Band and later, the Main Street Band , we became a very in-demand provider of wedding music, from the solo ceremony music to the background dinner music, to the full blown celebration dance music. Weddings were great. People were usually in a great mood ready to have fun and celebrate. There was always spontaneity, never knew what was going to happen or be said with the wedding party, extended family, and friends who aligned with bride or groom. Sometimes we felt like the band on the Titanic...as a little on the side running bet we would project the percentage possibility of the couple staying together. With some you just knew there were storms ahead. All part of the fun for us. Always good food, plenty of flowing drink, and most of the time, a good cake to be sampled later.
The Central Coast is a destination spot for big weddings because of its beauty and the places that cater to weddings. We were in cahoots with Wedding Planner, Eileen Hobbs, of Weddings and Happy Times, so we would often be the recommended first call band. Let's face it, we knew a shit load of music of all styles, could learn and cover anything, had good musicians, sounded great, knew how to work the room and build the energy, knew and respected typical wedding protocol, and looked good. What's not to like? And weddings were where you could really make some great money to augment the club wages.
We played weddings outside, at special homes, at wineries, and at a host of local hotels that were set up to handle such a potentially large event. There was the San Luis Bay Inn which overlooked the beautiful South Coast near Avila Beach. There was the lovely and intimate Monday Club where you had a beautiful outdoor ceremony area and a great indoor dinner and dance area with a stage as well. There was the Spyglass In in Pismo Beach and the Odd Fellowes Hall in SLO for the budget reception. Often the wedding would take place elsewhere so the reception just need a sizable hall. There were homes in SLO set up to host weddings and a particularly nice Victorian in downtown SLO on Marsh Street.
But the granddaddy of them all was the Madonna Inn located in San Luis Obispo just below, yes, you guessed it, Madonna Mountain. This place was one of the seven wonders along the Highway 101 corridor that traversed California from top to bottom...a destination for sure. It was a wacky design, kind of like a Swiss Chalet complete with outfits but all of the rooms were completely different theme rooms. The Cave Room, the Swiss Room, the Pink Room, the Boudoir, the Cattleman...you get the picture. I'm making up some of the names but it was a trip, a unique creation by the man whose road construction company built the highways of the Central Coast.There was a large upstairs room with an adjacent round room for dancing. There was a mid level bar, steak house, and ballroom dance floor with an elevated stage, and there was the downstairs wine keg room with cement slab floor whare you could get down and dirty and not have to pay to clean the carpet. The best weddings, for the band and all, took place down here. What's even more important is that you had direct access to the notorious men's rest room. This was a rock built creation of an open space with a waterfall to wash away the pee pee. You would belly up to the trough and let go. Soon the water would be flowing from above and wash down like a waterfall onto the droppings and onto your shoes. It was inevitable. But everyone just had to see the thing. Often you could not get in because families, women, and children were lined up to take a peak. Those that actually needed it would just have to go elsewhere.
For the band a wedding was a bit of a crapshoot. You just never knew how it would go. We were confident we could work the crowd and generate fun. But, that was often interfered with by the nature of those attending, or whether the liquor was flowing. There were elements that needed to be present for the affair to be considered a success. Typically we would start with the low key dinner set with slower music that included a bunch of crooner standards. The next set would start with the formal bride groom dance and all those festivities. Then we would kick it up when we got the signal. From there we played usually another couple of hours, sometimes playing straight through if the vibe was groovin'. When we reached the end of the contracted time we would announce it. AT that point the wedding party/bride's parents mostly, would decide if they wanted another set. The bride's father would usually come forth and deliver the single Benjamin which bought another hour of music. Like a live juke box, we simply kept playing. And though the feet and lower back might be starting to complain the money was flowin', the party was loose, people were enjoying themselves, the liquor was endless (or so they wanted), and we played on...
It was a day when everything was aligned. The ceremony had been beautiful. The couple were in love ...it was plain to see. The families were connected. The crowd was eager and drinking. The mood was right. There was plenty of money...cash. We were in the dungeon with the concrete floor where spilling was expected. The Gods were crazy...ah, such a night it was. The minute we finished the agreed amount there was the father and two brothers up there "negotiating" for more time, hundred dollar bills in hand. That first extension was a lucrative one. We played on through the hour and said good night again. There they were, the event bankers, once again...and we played on and on and on. The fathers cash flow diminished by the fifth hour so some of the relatives had to pony up. Fine with us.
By this time the band was aching but we made it through 7 extensions...without repeating a song! We were playing high school fight songs, TV commercials, making songs up...anything to keep going. It became important for us to not repeat. We were singing versions of songs we never played and did not know the lyrics to...but what did it matter. The glory of celebration had overtaken us all and there was nothing that could possibly interfere...it was amazing. Never had another one like it. It was legendary. We should have had T-shirts made up. It was just another day in the world of a Whale's Knee... Questions? Email me at markoffice@markstantonwelch.net
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