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16. What's The Rush?

Updated: Oct 24, 2020

My classified ad connected me with a bass player and a guitar player. The three of us were rehearsing some jazz standards, funk and contemporary jazz-rock fusion material hoping to find a drummer and eventually some gigs. One of them heard about a drummer and two vocalist/trumpet players who happened to be looking for bass, drums and keyboards to complete a sextet. We contacted them and it changed everything.


During our initial meeting and playing session with the drummer and two trumpet player/singers we learned that their goal was to revive a local band which had a fairly significant level of success involving a record release, east coast tour and lucrative local gigs during an earlier incarnation. One of the interesting things was that the band had been called Rush. Anyone who knows rock music is aware of the Canadian powerhouse trio Rush, but the thing was that this local band had the name first and was determined to stick with it. In fact, the Maine band Rush got a cease and desist order from the Canadian Rush, which they were unable to enforce because the Maine band Rush was on record as having the name first. So Rush it was, and Rush it stayed for a number of years.


Most of us desired to go full time with the band, and given the band's history of financial success, that actually seemed possible. We rehearsed, bought a P.A system and some lights, had some agents come and listen to us, got a sound man, and were finally ready for some local gigs. The first gig was for two nights at a local bar and went well. Based on that success we were able to start booking gigs for five nights in a row that paid us as much as I was making working temporary jobs. So when my last temporary job offered me a full time opening, I was able to tell them that I was going into music full time.


Playing music full time??? I thought, "Is this heaven?" I had been struggling to find playing jobs in NY and now I come to Maine and find myself playing keyboards and singing in a band full time? It was a dream come true, and one which most NY musicians would kill for.



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